


Broken Vow

by MGstars



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:00:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 35,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26931781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MGstars/pseuds/MGstars
Summary: Robin is the Crown Prince of the Kingdom, and lives a life of wealth, festivities and luxury.Regina belongs to a rebel group whose aim is to dethrone the King.They capture Robin, hoping to open his eyes to his father's tyrannical reign and change his vision for the better. But Regina had not foreseen the changes that Robin would bring about in her as well.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Comments: 64
Kudos: 54





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I present you my new story with this short prologue. About a third to half of the story is already written, and I truly want to avoid dragging it for as long as Jtf, WIRM or Chase. I'll do my best to update regularly. Chase will be prioritized in the updates until it is completed, and I will make sure it is before the end of the year. However, Broken Vow won't be left out, don't worry.
> 
> Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, they belong to OUAT's producers. However, I took the liberty of changing the relationships between most of them, often creating versions of the characters that you are not used to seeing. I hope this won't be too disturbing.
> 
> This story takes place in the world of OUAT, but in a non-magical version of the Enchanted Forest.
> 
> It will be told mostly from Robin's point of view, and in some chapters from Regina's as well.
> 
> This story is the basis of a deep inner turmoil and questioning for our two main characters, which makes me say that it is in a way, a little dark. As usual, the angst will be present, and if there won't really be any physical suffering as it was the case in my other stories, the pain here will be rather psychological... but with moderation. I don't think I've gone as far as I could in my previous stories.
> 
> For those who are interested, yes, there will be some smut, possibly even a little more than I am used to writing. We'll see if my muse takes me as far as my imagination when I come to write these passages.
> 
> This story has not been proofread, so I apologize in advance for any errors you may find in it, especially since English is not my native language.
> 
> Please, do not forget to review. Thank you.

* * *

Prologue

He's standing in the middle of the room, letting the servants chatter around him, dressing him in his executioner's attire.

Silk shirt.

Black velvet jacket with silver buttons.

Leather belt around his waist.

Black corduroy trousers embroidered with gold threads.

Mid-calf leather boots.

Sheathed sword.

The ritual is the same every time, so much so that each of his movements is instinctive, habit taking precedence over reflection.

When the last button is fastened, the servant steps aside, letting him judge his outfit in the mirror facing him. As usual, he gives his approval with a barely perceptible nod, a signal that it is time to add the final touch.

A long velvet cape is placed on his shoulders, fixed to his torso by the family crest made of gold and silver intertwined around a diamond.

He smiles at the image reflected in the mirror, satisfied. It's time.

xxx

The crowd applauses and cheers at this appearance, so loudly that it has him smiling without forcing it. His hand is in the air, waving at them, greeting his people. He steps forward, holding out his hands, motioning for silence, that he obtains immediately.

"My loving people," he begins, his voice strong and loud, covering the whole crowd. "Many of you, concerned for our safety, have taken part in the fight that unites us against the rebels in the North, who plunder and destroy our beloved land, who rape your mothers, your sisters and your daughters. Who murder your fathers, your brothers and your sons. Let the dissidents be afraid. I have always behaved in such a way that I have placed my greatest strength and my greatest safeguard in the loyal hearts and good will of my subjects; and that is why I, Robin Sebastian, Crown Prince of this kingdom, called the Dark Prince by the rebels for having taken up arms to defend you, stand before you, as you see, at this moment, not to entertain myself, but to announce to you that on this solemn day we have taken one more step towards victory. For the leader of the rebels stands before us. This man you see has been recognized as such. When the snake's head is cut off, the rest is just a rope. On this day, I tell you, the end of the rebellion has come. We will soon have a famous victory over these enemies of my kingdom and my people. In the meantime, as the merciful prince that I am, I will give this man one last chance to speak before his execution."

He looks sternly at the man in shackles knelt in front of him, his head high and facing the crowd, defiant.

"Before fate descends upon you, do you have any final wishes?"

Robin stares expectantly, but when he believed that the leader of the rebel would try to speak out against the Crown, he's surprised to see him stay silent, slowly, almost imperceptibly, shaking his head, not once looking away from the crowd.

"Very well then."

He raises his sword to the acclamation of the people, preparing to deliver the fatal blow that he hopes will bring an end to the war that has been waged since before his birth.

As the blade falls, separating the head from the body of the man responsible for hundreds of deaths, Robin is certain: He has fulfilled his destiny.


	2. The Dark Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know most of you are focused on something else right now, but to help deal with all the angst and anxiety of the last few days, and of the current exhausting situation, I decided to add a new chapter to this story. This isn't my favorite one, mostly because there isn't a lot of action in there, but this is, I believe, necessary. 

* * *

Two years later

He moves around the castle with the manners and dignity of a future King, as he was taught, sometimes nodding his head slightly to let people know that he has noticed their presence. A discreet way of giving a little balm to the heart of all the insignificant people around him: servants, maids, cooks, waiters. He is too good to them, as his parents often repeat to him, but Robin wants to be appreciated by his people, recognized as a legitimate and beloved heir on the day he will climb on the throne.

It won't be for a while, his father and mother are still vigorous, but he wants to put all the assets on his side as soon as possible. His many accomplishments within the kingdom, his involvement in the peace that has now been established, is almost entirely his own doing. Even though it was Prince James who brought the vermin back to the castle, it was _he_ , after all, who cut off his head two years ago.

Two years of peace.

It's well worth the annual vacation at the Summer Palace which he will enjoy for a month. He, surrounded by servants and valets, and a few pretty ladies ready to do anything to share his bed and favors.

"Robin!"

He's pulled out of his thoughts by the call of his name, smiling as he heads towards David, his long-time friend, Prince of the neighbor kingdom with his brother James.

"David! What are you doing here?" he cheers, shaking his friend's hand.

"My father has a meeting with yours." David replies. "I figured I'd use the ride to say hi before you leave."

"And spend some time with my sister on the same occasion!" Robin smirks knowingly.

David blushes, glancing down and scratching the back of his head. "You know your sister. There's no guarantee that she'll agree to see me."

Robin claps David's back as he invites him to walk with him. "She always agrees to see you, my friend. By the way, do you remember that girl from the last ball, the one with long blond hair and blue eyes who danced with me a good dozen times?"

"Lily or Lilith?"

"Lilas." Robin corrects. "A real beauty. I convinced her to join me for at least a week. The poor thing must be dying to get into my good graces."

David whistles, impressed. "How did you convince her father? Getting under their skirt here is something, but taking them away without supervision for an entire week is a master move."

"She told him that she'd use the beautiful landscapes of the area to improve her skills in drawing and sewing. That it'd be a great experience for her, and there would be other ladies to keep her company."

"Very clever, Robin! Although I guess drawing and sewing will be the least of her concern once you'll be there."

Robin doesn't reply, but his smile says it all. These trips –and his life in general- are made of drinking, eating, and fornicate for the most part. All three at the same time as much as possible. Activities that no one, besides David, his servants, and the girls he's kind enough to share his bed with, know of. A secret he makes sure to keep, using all means possible. Moreover, the women he spends time with at the Summer Palace are usually local girls who have nothing to do with their lives, and he does them a huge favor by inviting them into his bed. His parents are entitled to find him a perfect spouse, but he couldn't care less about having one woman to sleep with, when he can have plenty of different ones. Besides, to be tied to one person for the rest of one's life by the bonds of marriage would make one lose interest in the other person. No more efforts to impress the other, his "wife" would be satisfied with her status, and he would be bored to death.

"You should try it one day," he suggests. "It's... reinvigorating."

David shakes his head. "James does it enough for the both of us, I'm tired of hearing all those constant noises coming from his chamber. That's enough for me."

" _David!"_

The men startle at the high-pitched voice that resonates in the corridor, looking ahead to find... Robin's sister, beaming, happily strolling in their direction, with their mother right behind her.

"Oh shoot." David mutters. "Do you think they heard us?"

Robin laughs frantically. "Not a chance! Come on, take a breath, you look like you're about to faint."

"Queen Eva. Snow White!" David greets with a slightly embarrassed smile. "You're absolutely radiant today."

The Princess blushes, toying with a strand of her long, black hair, biting her lower red lip and glancing at him from underneath her heavy lashes, blinking them repeatedly to give herself an angelic face.

"Thank you! Do you like my new dress?" she asks, swirling around to show off her dress made of white silk taffeta embroidered with pink flowers.

Robin exchanges an amused look with his mother, holding back a laugh at his sister's more than obvious attempt at seducing David, who's already head over heels in love with her. All she manages to do is to make him freeze on the spot, almost choking on his saliva, face reddening.

"I- It's-"

Robin clasps his friend's back twice to help him recover from his cough, squeezing his shoulder tightly as David finally manages to speak in audible words.

"It's absolutely beautiful, Snow. It really suits you."

Snow White grins at him like an idiot then. _Literally_ like an idiot. David is staring as well, wearing this goofy eyes, annoying the hell out of Robin, who rolls his eyes and clears his throat to interrupt the two lovebirds. Truly, they can be so cheesy sometimes it almost makes him sick.

"Robin, darling, is everything ready for your trip?"

His mother's question shakes his sister and friend out of their romantic daze, has them sheepishly looking at him and his mother.

"Yes, Mother. I'm ready to leave after lunch, as planned."

The group walks together in the direction of the dining room, all the attention on Robin's plans at the Summer Palace. Plans that officially consist in resting, walking in the forest, training to fight. Which, truly, isn't at all related to what he's actually planned to do, but his mother and sister would faint from the shock if they ever were to learn about his usual activities.

Snow is clutching to his arm, leaning her head over his shoulder, being the buggy and clingy little sister he adores, but who annoys him sometimes. He's aware of the fact that she hates when he's away, but he needs to breathe at least once a year, and needs to put some distance between him and the Crown to keep his sanity. Responsibilities, duty, ruling an entire kingdom, will be his job one day, and he won't be able to escape it then, so better enjoy his freedom while he can.

xxx

The ride to the Summer Palace could have passed in the blink of an eye, if Lilas had been inclined to follow the Prince's suggestions to start to get to know each other better... in a more physical way. When his mind was clearly –well, not clearly enough for her apparently- set on making out, she spent her time asking him questions about him, his life as future King, how many rebels he killed before the end of the war, if he enjoys his life now that the kingdom is peaceful.

Although Robin loves when a woman is interested in him, he very much prefers getting under her skirt, or her hand in his pants –her mouth would be the icing on the cake. He's a good talker, that much is true, but he very much prefers a woman who shuts up and focuses on getting him off. That's why he can't wait to be alone with her in his chamber tonight, and show her what entertainment means.

For the time being though, he has to listen to her rambling about how wonderful the summer palace is, how tastefully it is decorated. He stops himself from rolling his eyes, pretends to be interested when she seeks his approval, when really, he almost forces himself not to throw himself on her, rip her dress off and fill her cunt with his more than needy shaft.

At last, after an entire afternoon and extremely long dinner suffering while she wouldn't shut up for a minute, the time to call it a night finally comes, and Robin's face lights up. Using the classic but effective "there's something I absolutely have to show you!" excuse, Robin drags the girl to his chamber, relieved when she follows without a word. Whether she understood his intention or not doesn't matter. No sane princess wouldn't understand that you don't get to spend a week in a Palace with a Prince just to sew and draw. Or well, let's say they could –his sister definitely would, and thank Lord because he would kill anyone who would dare take her innocence outside marriage, but he's not any Prince. He's the _Crown Prince_ , and that means that girls simply lose their mind when they see him.

"I still can't believe that you've invited me to spend a week here, Your Highness." Lila marvels, eyes roaming over the room, from velvet curtains to hand-embroidered carpets, to the silk sheets covering the bed and the stone fireplace.

"My Prince." He reminds her. Women always feel more special when he authorizes them to call him like this, and that usually simplifies his task to get what he wants from them.

Lilas giggles, blushing. "Well, _My Prince_ , this is absolutely stunning. I've never seen such a beautiful palace before."

Robin stops behind her, hands hovering over her hips, fingers stretching, itching to grab her and pull her to him already. He rolls his eyes, impatience growing in him.

"I'm sure your home must be beautiful too." he forces himself to say, when really, that's clearly the least of his problem. No one can compete with his father's wealth and properties. A princess of low-rank like Lilas has indeed probably never seen such wonders, but why would he care? What he plans on showing her tonight and during the following days is much more interesting than any Palace will ever be.

She walks to the large desk where a servant deposited drinks, turns to face him while holding two glasses, handing one to him. Robin joins her, grabbing a glass and taking a slow sip, eyes roaming over her body in a lustful way that she cannot miss. He puts the drink back on the table, closing the gap between them and locking his arms in her back, blocking her against him. "Not as beautiful as you are, though." he murmurs as he leans forward, eyes glancing between hers and her lips.

"My Prince, you're too good to me." she whispers, looking away, her neck facing him in place of her lips.

Robin doesn't care, closes his lips over her white flesh, sucking roughly and feeling a pulse of need running through him, awakening the desire between his legs that begins to harden.

Lilas' hands are on his shoulders, clutching there as she whispers "My Prince" and "We should-" but Robin makes sure to bite hardly, to nip at the skin so she'll just fucking shut up for the first time since this morning. They should, and they will move to the bed in a minute, but she needs to understand that starting now, he's the one in charge.

He presses his body to hers, searching for a way to rub himself against her legs, her pelvis, whatever he can reach. His mouth is now teasing her earlobe, giving several frantic bites, feeling her hiss and jolt, whining a little –poor thing, she must be experiencing this for the first time- but it's not like he really cares to be honest. His hands possessively wander on her body, creasing and pulling her dress down. He grabs one of her wrists, guides her hand south, towards where he's aching for stimulation, his breath quickening in anticipation. But as he pushes at her cleavage to undress her, he finds his eyelids heavy, his head dizzy. Lilas must feel it, because she pulls away, keeping him standing.

"Are you feeling alright, My Prince?"

Her voice sounds raspy, and far away, so Robin pushes through the daze that is trying to overcome him, blinking several times.

"Take this off!" he orders, tugging at her dress. "I need-"

He wants her naked. He needs her naked. Needs to have a good fuck, and then he'll feel much better.

"Maybe you should lie down."

He shakes his head, groggy, babbling words he cannot even comprehend anymore.

And then everything turns dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, after Robin wakes up in an unfamiliar place, he meets a maid, tries to win her over by any means necessary, and eventually discovers that she may be more than she appears to be.
> 
> Don't forget to review!


	3. Regina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you don't already, you might hate Robin a little bit more with this chapter XD  
> A huge thank you to Nani for all the brainstorming about this fic, and to Morgan for the betareading!  
> Enjoy!

* * *

Everything hurts.

His back.

His head.

His arms.

Robin groans and rolls on his side, a metallic sound resonating as he does, which only increases the pounding in his head. There's a heavy weight on his arm that moves with him, something that links his hands and hampers his movements. He frowns in his dazed state, heavily sighing, moving his arms under his head, unable to find himself fully comfortable nor to get in the position he wants. He blinks attempts to find Lila's body on the bed, but his hands are blocked, his wrists bound together. The sudden realization has Robin waking up, opening his eyes wide, blinking repeatedly to accommodate his blurry vision.

He freezes.

A cold shiver runs through him as he sits up abruptly. Wherever he is, it's not his bedroom. It actually looks like nowhere he knows. A rathole would be the best description: A small room made of wood from floor to ceiling without any decoration: no carpet, no paintings, no marble; an extremely small window without curtains that lets the light of day in; and a small bed where he's lying that's made of poor-quality wood and covered with an old thin mattress and worn blankets. The very aspect of this room makes him want to take a bath to rid himself of the filth that emanates from it.

Robin's eyes fall to his hands, understanding what he guessed through his last minutes of sleep. They're tied together with a solid rope and connected to the wall through a long chain of metal.

What the hell happened?

Suddenly wide awake, Robin pulls on his chains harshly, attempting to break free, or at least weaken his bonds so he can free himself of them, but by an ingenious -and annoying- mechanism, the rope is maintained by some sort of metallic hand right at its center, solidifying the whole. That leaves him little chance to get rid of it, but he'll take his chances.

For several long minutes, Robin contortions everything: hands, wrists, fingers, even his shoulders, but it's all in vain. Sore and irritated, he decides to explore his new environment instead. Getting up, his eyes scan the small room, drawn to the source of light, the little window above his head. Tiptoeing with difficulty, craning his neck to try to reach the small square glass, Robin pulls on the chain as much as he can, to the point that the stirring in his shoulder is almost cutting off his breath. When he sits back on the bed without having so much as gotten a glance at something other than the clouds in the sky, he's livid.

Lending an ear, he notices that there are noises around him. Lots of them. He focuses to recognize them and hears the distinct laugh of a child, hooves, neighing, and loud screams or calls with words he cannot understand. But this means that there are people around him, people who could help. He's the Prince. Surely, they will be ready to do anything for him.

"Hello? Help! Anyone? Can you hear me? I'm Prince Robin, I'm a prisoner. Come help! My father will give you a great reward! Help! Come on! Anyone hear me?"

He screams until his voice is hoarse, asks for help for a while that seems to last forever, listening acutely to perceive any sound that might come closer, anything indicating that help is there.

Nothing.

After he's screamed so much and so loudly that his lungs are burning, Robin relents and sits back on the bed, his head falling between his hands as he sighs heavily.

 _Crack_.

Startled, his head snaps up, eyes on the door. He gets up swiftly when it opens, forgetting his chains and bouncing on his feet when it pulls him backward, keeping his balance at the last second.

A woman wearing a simple light blue dress comes in, her face hidden from him at first as she closes the door behind her. When she looks at him, Robin is stricken by her beauty, by the chocolate color of her almond-shaped eyes, the redness and fullness of her lips, the olive color of her skin and her long, dark, and thick hair.

She's a vision, taking his breath away for a split second.

But he doesn't really give a damn about her. She could be the ugliest creature on earth, the only thing that matters is the fact that she could be his way out.

"Thank Lord you're here!" he exclaims. "You need to help me. I don't know how I got here, it must be a mistake, I don't remember anything." He motions for her to walk closer, showing her the rope around his wrists. "There must be a key, or something to break this. You have to find it, do you understand?"

He finally looks up at her again and frowns. She's standing in the entrance, the door closed behind her, staring at him, immobile.

"Come on!" he encourages. "I'm the King's son, heir of this kingdom. There will be a great reward if you help me. You'll have money, jewelry, perfumes, beautiful dresses. Anything a girl like you dreams of. You're not too bad to look at, with some work on those clothes and a bit of makeup, you'd be more than fine. But you have to help me first."

Nothing again.

Well, not exactly.

She grabs something at her waist, a pouch made of animal skins, with a kind of spout closed by a cork. She hands it to him while keeping her distance, and Robin snatches it from her, turning the object in his hands to examine it. It seems to be filled with a liquid, but...

"How's that supposed to help me get out of here?" he growls with annoyance.

The girl stays rooted to the spot, hugging herself. "I brought you some water. I figured you must be thirsty."

Robin frowns, staring at the object in his hand with disgust and surprise. "Water?"

"It's a gourd," the girl explains. "You- You simply have to remove the cork to drink."

"First, I am not a savage! I drink from a bottle and in a glass. Not from... _that_ ," he spits, throwing it at her feet without much care, voice rising with anger. "Second, _get me out of there!_ "

The girl steps back, fearful eyes staring at him. Then she tentatively looks down and slowly crouches to retrieve the gourd.

Realizing that she might be his only chance out of here and that scaring her off won't be any help, Robin softens his tone, sighing to contain his growing annoyance and a roll of his eyes.

"Look, I didn't mean to frighten you."

She's about to leave, hand on the doorknob, but pauses at his words.

"I have no idea where I am. The last thing I remember was that I was in my chamber, about to have a good time with a nice girl, if you know what I mean." He smirks at her, but her face stays neutral. The poor girl must not even understand his implication, she must still be a naïve virgin. "And I woke up here, chained to a wall. I'm a little disoriented. Would you mind giving me a few answers?"

The girl stares at him silently for a few seconds. Robin can almost hear her thoughts, her hesitation to answer his questions. He needs to play this nicely if he wants her to help him escape.

"Where are we?"

"We're in a camp," the girl reveals slowly. "The rebels brought you here."

Robin's eyes widen, his jaw almost falling open. The rebels? The rebels are dead. They'd been destroyed when he killed their leader two years ago. There's been no trace of them anywhere since. He thought he would never even hear the word again.

"That's not possible. There are no more rebels."

The girl narrows her eyes at him. "The rebels were always there. Why would they go away?"

"But... Their leader is dead."

"Who told you that?"

Robin's blood runs cold. "He confirmed his identity before he was sentenced to death. I'd know, I'm the one who killed him." he adds proudly.

Something flashes in the girl's eyes, but Robin doesn't pay attention to it as she shakes her head. "Well, the leader is very much alive, I can assure you. Should I leave this here or not?" she asks, holding the gourd.

Robin's eyes flicker between her hand and her face. He is indeed thirsty, and although he has no interest in lowering himself to their level, that might very well be his only way to quench his thirst, so he relents.

"Leave it."

And with a nod, she's gone before he gets to say another word.

Robin finds himself alone again, staring at a closed door, flabbergasted by the revelation. This girl must have been wrong. He'd killed the rebel's leader! Otherwise, why would the war have stopped shortly after the execution?

However, the possibility that he may have been fooled for two entire years makes its way into his mind, and Robin's anger flares as he screams in rage and pulls on his ties with all his strength.

Seconds, minutes, hours pass, during which he can do nothing but be plunged into his memories from two years ago. Against all odds, as the war was raging in the kingdom, an unknown man had showed up at David's father's castle, and given him and his brother information about the rebels' leader's location, along with a way to identify him, through an emblem that he was wearing on his belt: a wrought-iron buckle decorated with a cambered horse.

And indeed, they had found that man in the tavern where they were told he was supposed to be. He fought well, much more than any other rebel, and Robin will never forget the look on his face when he found himself chained in his dungeons. He had been pretty beaten up: his face was bruised, lips cut and covered in dry blood, hair messy and dirty. But his eyes. His eyes were of a piercing blue that matched his own, and they were filled with a hatred and determination that had almost made him shiver as, unlike the others, he didn't look away from him the entire time. It didn't take much effort to draw the truth from him: he had confirmed his identity with a calmness that had taken Robin by surprise. The man had accepted his fate, his death, without even trying to fight, and he remembers thinking at the time that it was all too easy, but the war ended with that man's life, and that was all Robin cared about.

There was no reason for that man to have lied. Truly, Robin cannot think of any logic in making him believe he was someone else, especially if the leader he protected hid like a coward for two entire years.

Unless...

Robin's eyes widen as he suddenly realizes that his presence here can only mean two things: Either it wasn't planned and his family has probably been warned of his disappearance and must be already looking for him, or... it was premeditated. Thinking about it more deeply, it suddenly hits him how most of the staff at the Summer Palace was new, how they were clumsier than most servants are, making mistakes he wouldn't have tolerated had that little virgin not taken his full attention.

Lilas!

That little minx! She must have been part of the plan! She tricked him, seduced him in order to be invited to the Summer Palace, and once they were alone, she...

There's a crack, a metallic noise followed by what clearly sounds like keys in a lock that he must have missed earlier. Robin's alert then, getting up, ready to finally meet the rebels' real leader.

Except it's the same girl from earlier who comes in, arms full of what he quickly identifies as a bowl and bread, making him realize that his stomach is indeed twisting with a hunger he was oblivious to thanks to the roaming of his brain. The girl curiously looks at him, frowning a little before she deposits the bowl and bread on the small table next to the bed that he didn't even pay attention to. She grabs the empty gourd and replaces it with a new one, her eyes never leaving him while she walks closer to him and suddenly he finds her, for a short instant, within his reach. Except that Robin is too caught up in his own thoughts to grab the opportunity to get a hold of her and force her to free him.

"The soup is still warm; you should eat it before it gets cold."

Robin shakes his head, snapping out of his daze, sitting on the edge of the bed and in front of the small table, his head dizzy with hunger. Eating will give him the necessary strength to think this confusing situation through. But as he takes in what's in front of him, he frowns.

"Where's the rest of the food?"

"I'm sorry?"

"The rest of the food," he repeats in annoyance, rolling his eyes. "Soup is barely a starter."

The girl's lips curve. "I'm afraid we don't have much more. We don't live in a castle."

"Obviously."

He plunges his spoon in the bowl and brings a piece of potato, vegetables and broth to his mouth. This won't be enough to sustain him.

"You clearly want to starve me."

"You had as much as anyone else here."

"But I'm not just anyone! I'm _the Prince_!"

The girl scoffs, and Robin fumes at her nerve. How dare she mock him!

"After all you've done against the rebels, consider yourself lucky you have food to begin with. I'm not sure the ones you captured and killed had as much privilege."

Robin plants his elbows on his thighs, staring at the girl.

"If they hate me so much, why am I here?"

"You'll know that in time. For now, I'm only here to bring you food and water."

Robin inwardly smirks at her words. She doesn't seem to be part of the rebels, or if she is, she's not someone important. Clearly, judging by her words and poorly made dress, she's just a servant, maybe even a slave. She might want to leave this place as much as he does. His most charming smile on display, he switches his tone from annoyed to interested, and absentmindedly eats while he follows his quickly thought-out plan.

"What's your name, girl?"

She frowns at his question, which has him repeating himself. That's something he abhors. He's a Prince, he should _never_ have to repeat himself.

"Why do you want to know?"

She leans back against the wall, apparently studying him, or trying to figure out if she can trust him. He widens his smile, slightly leans back and plays nice. He's good at this, practices making conversation every day in front of dukes and princesses, has played more naïve girls than he can count. Fooling an uneducated slave shouldn't be too hard.

"We clearly started this on the wrong foot. If we're going to see each other several times a day, it's best if I know your name."

After a short silence, she relents. "Regina."

"Nice to meet you, Regina. My name is Robin. Usually you'd have to address me as Your Majesty, but you're a special girl, so you can call me _My Prince_."

He notices her smirk, but doesn't pay attention to it. The poor thing isn't used to facing a Prince, even less members of the royal family. She doesn't even know he's not _Your Majesty_ yet, but who cares? She'll get to learn how to behave in front of royalty... once he's free of his ties.

He uses the bread to clean his bowl, chewing the thick dough filled with seeds. "Tell me, Regina, how did Lilas trick me? And how did she help the rebels kidnap me and get me out of a palace full of guards?"

He doesn't miss it. Her eyes light up at his words, sparkling with something he can't quite decipher, but he knows he has her full attention now.

"They didn't think you'd have figured it out already."

His eyebrow raises at her answer.

"I'm right then? She was a spy working for the rebels?"

Robin stares deep into Regina's eyes, tries to find something, anything, that would give him more answers than she seems willing to provide. But the only thing he manages to capture is the detail of her chocolate-brown eyes, their pupils creating a golden crown and giving her gaze an intensity and depth that mesmerizes him.

He shakes his head, leaning back to collect some self-confidence and protect himself from her tantalizing gaze.

"So?"

Regina bends forward, grabbing the empty bowl with a swift movement, always staying out of his reach, and opens the door, throwing over her shoulder. "Like I said, I'm only here to bring you food and water."

He faces a closed door once more, and Robin blows out a long and frustrated breath, letting himself fall on his back on the thin and uncomfortable mattress. He stares at the low ceiling for a while, trying to ignore his rumbling stomach and the hunger that won't go away, forcing his mind away from the images of the feast that took place at the castle before his departure.

His parents, his sister, and his best friend may not even know he was kidnapped. There will be no rescue mission for a while. If his kidnapping had been organized by rebels who infiltrated his father's men, it might even take at least a week before someone realizes he's disappeared.

Whatever the rebels' plan is, Robin has to admit that it was well-played. By capturing him now, and if Lilas and at least a part of the staff at the Summer Palace are members of the rebel group, they ensured that they had some peace for a little while. He still has trouble believing he could've been fooled by so many people, though. Once he gets out of here, he'll have them all killed for treason. He will even do it himself, will take immense pleasure in watching the blade fall and their heads rolling away from their bodies. Just like their false leader.

The man must have had his reasons to sacrifice himself that way. By identifying himself as the rebels' leader, he led him and his father to drop their guard. It must have been their plan from the beginning. This man must have been a tool, an instrument to stop the killings. They must have been really desperate to resort to that plan, willingly sacrificing one of their own to spare the lives of the others. But it will all be in vain. He will destroy their camp. He will burn it to the ground and slice their real leader's throat, and that vermin will die once and for all.

Robin doesn't realize that he falls asleep while caught up in his thoughts, and he's startled by a small crackling sound, cracks an eye open to distinguish the door of his cabin closing through his blurred vision. Drawn by the pull of slumber, he closes his eyes again, rolling on his side and curling into a ball before falling back asleep without noticing the steaming bowl of soup on the small table and the warm blanket that has been deposited on his shoulders.

He wakes up groggy but well-rested, although there's a stirring in his back that makes him stretch and groan lowly. Robin rubs his eyes before opening them, yawning as he stirs, letting out a loud and long moan. It must barely be dawn, judging by the small light of day peering through the window. He lets his arms fall on the bed, sighing as he realizes that it wasn't a dream, he very well is a prisoner of the rebels.

However, he frowns at the soft, thick texture under his fingers and glances down to realize that he's covered with a thick blanket that he has no recollection of pulling over him. He looks around, confused, finds the now cold soup next to his bed, and understands that he must have fallen asleep before dinner. He brings a hand to his rumbling stomach, forces himself into a seated position, and lets his legs fall from the bed.

The cold vegetables are slightly gooey and stick to his palate, and he grimaces as he swallows the stew, which might not have been so bad if he had eaten it last night. At least the taste quickly wakes him up. He's so hungry though that he finishes it all, getting up and stretching the best he can with his tied hands.

He needs to get out of here. As curious as he is to know why they've captured him, that's not really his problem. What he needs is to be back in civilization, and not be a prisoner of these savages whose leader is such a coward he sent someone else to die in his place and hasn't dared to face him yet!

He searches for something sharp, anything, eyes roaming over the place to find something useful. The window is out of his reach, the bowl and spoon are made of a poor-quality metal that folds under the pressure, and the small table is only made of a solid wood with absolutely zero sharp edges.

Robin's patience quickly runs out, and he's fruitlessly rubbing the thick rope against an edge of the bed that's just as smooth as everything else in this damn room, when he hears it. The now-familiar sound of a key in the lock. He hurries to sit on his bed and look innocent, and forces a smile as he welcomes Regina, who's carrying a small tray with –surprise!- a steaming bowl and a clean spoon.

"Hello, you! Here to bring me my daily lunch?"

Regina lifts an eyebrow, deposits the tray on the ground and carefully switches the empty bowl with the new one, exchanging the gourd for a full one as well.

"Someone's in a mood."

"A good sleep always helps. How was yours?"

She frowns. "Mine?"

Robin scoffs. "Sleep. How was your sleep?"

She shrugs, leans against the wall while she watches him, arms crossed over her chest. "It was good, I guess. Aren't you going to eat?"

Robin's eyes fall on the bowl and he eagerly grabs the spoon and hums loudly as he swallows a spoonful of broth, biting into the thick bread and chewing. "Delicious!"

Regina chuckles as she shakes her head.

"You have a beautiful smile." he compliments. And that's no lie. The girl might be a savage, but underneath all those rags and dirt, there's a lot of potential. If she turns out to be useful, he wouldn't mind taking her back home and turning her into his servant... If not more. She'd be thrilled, of that he's sure.

"Even though I'm living with the rebels?"

"No one's perfect. By the way, thank you for leaving the food yesterday, even though I was asleep."

"You're welcome. I figured you might wake up and be hungry since, you know, ' _We clearly want to starve you,'_ " she quotes.

"Fair enough," Robin admits, nodding and smirking when he looks up from his meal. "Look, I know I'm asking for a lot, but do you think you could untie these?" he asks while holding out his bound hands, putting on his most practiced begging face. "Or at least loosen the string? In addition to not being practical, it's really tight. I'm starting to feel pins and needles in my fingers."

Regina looks at him, silent. Robin's unable to decide if she's studying him, if she believes him, or is just being defiant. He keeps the act on, plays the victim as he knows how to do so well, hoping that it will work. If she slackens the cord even a little, he's pretty certain that it will be enough for him to break free.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Come on! What are the risks?"

The way she stares at him with a quirked eyebrow is enough of an answer. She's afraid of him escaping, hurting her, and massacring everyone in this village, and although he may not hurt her since she's been rather kind to him, he cannot say that the rest is wrong. But she doesn't need to know that.

"Alright. I admit that we've started off on the wrong foot and my reputation precedes me when it comes to the rebels, but please? Can you at least ask permission?"

"I'm pretty sure I know what they're going to say, but if you insist."

Well... At least that's something.

" _Thank you!_ Please, be quick!" he whines, flexing and extending his fingers. "I don't know how long I'll be able to hold on."

And a second later, she's gone.

Robin spends a while waiting for her, hope growing within him with the possibility that he's fooled that naïve girl. He keeps trying to break free though, but in the end, even one of the slats of the bed frame that he broke didn't do the trick.

Patience doesn't sit well with him though, and despite his efforts to stay calm, by the time the door opens again, he's boiling inside, stomping his foot on the floor, trying really hard to temper his bad mood and not scare Regina off again.

Except it's not Regina who comes in.

In place of the girl, there's an old, fat lady with round ugly glasses on her nose, her white hair up into a disheveled bun that would have made his mother and sister faint.

Robin stands immediately. Perhaps she's here to loosen his bounds. He holds out his hands, expecting for her to do something about it, but she simply stares at him with furrowed brow.

"Well?"

All his efforts to stay calm vanish when he realizes that the woman has no idea what he expects her to do.

"Where is Regina?"

But instead of answering him, she leans forward to collect the dirty dishes. Robin reacts then, unable to stand any more of that game than he already has, bringing a hand forward to try to grab her, but the woman has faster reflexes than he expected and she jumps back, taking the crossbow that was on her back and pointing it at him.

Robin pulls back immediately, putting his hands in the air as much as he can.

"Alright, calm down! Regina was supposed to ask if she could loosen that rope, and she didn't come back. Where is she? Did she speak to your leader?"

The old woman's eyes narrow but she stays silent, which only frustrates him more. He sighs, shakes his head and pinches his nose the best he can with his hands tied.

"Can you tell Regina to come here?"

The woman tilts her head to the side and frowns at him, so he articulates. "Re-gi-na," he says slowly, hoping that this ignorant old crone will understand, but all she does is stare at him with her bulging eyes and aim that crossbow in his direction.

"Alright, this is going nowhere. I'm sick of your little games! Where's your leader? Take me to him!" Robin growls. "Are you deaf? Or maybe too dumb to understand? Do you speak another language?"

Completely taking him by surprise, the woman catches his wrist roughly, pulling him towards her and almost making him lose his balance. By the time he looks up, the metallic hand that was covering the rope and chaining him to the wall falls on the ground. However, he barely has time to react as he's pushed towards the door unceremoniously, the arrow of the crossbow against his back. She nods when he places his hand on the knob, and so Robin opens the door.

He squints against the bright light of a summer sun hitting him in the face, protecting himself with his tied hands, blinking repeatedly to adjust to the difference in luminosity after he's been kept in relative darkness for who knows how much time. The tip of the arrow is firm against his back, pushing him forward, and Robin glares at the woman, but relents in moving forward nonetheless.

As she guides him through what resembles a small village (although he's never truly seen a village for himself before), Robin can't help but notice the stares in his direction, the wary, hateful, curious looks, everyone stopping whatever they are doing to look at _the Dark Prince_. His answer is nothing other than hate. He abhors people like them, the rebels who are trying to make his father fall, who went to great lengths to kidnap him, the _Prince_ , heir of the kingdom. They've named him the Dark Prince for killing off a good number of them, but this is a title that he's learned to love, because that means he's done a pretty good job at getting rid of them -if you forget the fact that he thought they had been decimated, that is.

A hand on his shoulder forces him to stop, and he does, glancing around, confused as to why he's been stopped in the middle of a large area, with no one resembling Regina or the leader of the group in sight. A few men walk closer, swords or bows in hand, gazes set on him, their mission clearly to dissuade him from making an attempt at rebellion. He notices the old woman mouthing something in someone's ear before the person strolls away, heading towards a house and knocking on the door.

It takes a few minutes of what appears to be a conversation he doesn't catch a word of before the person moves away, and the door opens wider, someone exiting the place.

Regina!

Finally, someone smart enough to speak his language. Or speak at all!

He tries to move forward, but the old woman grips his shoulder tightly, forcing him to stay in his spot. When he tries to break free, she kicks him on the back of one knee, which leaves him no choice but to kneel, her hand firmly pressing on his shoulder and keeping him in this position. Who would have thought an old rag would have so much strength?

He watches Regina talk to the man who called her, a hand squeezing his biceps as she nods, then she finally walks in his direction, two men he doesn't know exiting the place she was in. One is a slim man with dark skin who is currently walking away, and the other one follows her, his small wrinkled eyes glaring at him as he uses the support of a cane to put one step in front of the other.

Robin smiles at her, but something in his gut screams at him that something is different. Regina's face is nothing like that of the sweet and naïve girl who's been bringing him meals. She is looking at him with dark and hard eyes, a crease in her forehead, her stance straight. She appears older like this, less like a girl and more like a grown woman, and for a brief instant, Robin wonders who is hiding behind those hard features.

"I was told you wanted to see me," she says as she stops in front of him.

Robin attempts to shrug the old woman's hand off his shoulder in vain, fails at getting up when she digs her nails into his skin and presses the arrow deeper into his back.

"Yeah, the dumb hag over there needed a while to understand me. Poor woman must not have all her wits, if you know what I mean," he says in a secretive tone of confidence, although well aware that everyone can hear him. Confronted by Regina's silence and quirked eyebrow, he clears his throat. "What's all this? Why am I kept on my knees?"

Regina ducks her head. "Isn't this how you're supposed to greet a leader? By kneeling in front of them?"

Robin almost chokes. What nonsense is she talking about?

"What do you mean? What leader?"

She lifts an eyebrow expectantly. "You asked me if you could be freed from your bonds and yelled at Granny that you wanted to see the leader of the rebels. Well, now I am here."

It takes all of Robin's willpower to keep his jaw from falling open, but he can't suppress the incredulity that covers his face.

"You must be joking, right?" In response to Regina's silence and stern look, he scoffs. "You are the leader of the rebels? _You_?" He can't help it then. He laughs. A full-throated laugh that resonates around him as he doubles over. "This is hilarious, really!" He looks between her and the old man waiting just behind her, expecting him to speak up at any moment. "Seriously, where is your _real_ leader?"

Regina crouches in front of him, fingers grabbing his jaw tightly, shushing him immediately.

"Unlike what you must think, I actually have more important things to do than listening to you insulting me and my friends. Either you behave, or you go back to your cabin."

"Prison." He corrects.

"Call it what you like. But stop making me lose my time."

Faced with her hard tone and serious behavior, Robin understands that he'll have no other choice but to talk to her.

"What's all this?" He asks, wanting to open his hands, but blocked by the rope. "Why am I here?"

"It seems that I am fool enough to hope that you can be the key to bringing peace in this kingdom."

Robin holds back another laugh. " _Peace_?" He raises challenging eyes towards her. "There _was_ peace! _I_ brought _peace_ two years ago when I sliced the head of whom I thought was your leader! You broke that when you kidnapped me! How do you intend to make peace by kidnapping the King's son? That's the dumbest plan I've ever heard."

Regina glares at him, something he can't put a name to flashing in her eyes, but she stays still and straight in front of him.

"Do you consider yourself a good fighter, Robin?" She asks nonchalantly, pacing slowly.

Robin's eyes widen. How dares she?

"It's _Your Majesty!_ " He snaps furiously, shocked by her lack of respect, even more shocked by the use of his first name, that no one but his parents, sister and best friend are allowed to use. "And yes. I am the best fighter in this kingdom."

He doesn't miss Regina's amused smirk, the glance she exchanges with the old man behind her and the woman whose hand is still firmly gripping his shoulder, the snickering of some people in the background. These people's nerves. That's beyond unacceptable! He'll have their heads for their lack of respect!

Regina nods, turning towards a large man who walks to her and hands her two swords, which she takes before thanking him.

She pulls one sword out of its sheath and faces him, lifting the blade. Robin's eyes widen, his hands instinctively raising to protect himself, head turning away as the blade begins to fall.

He freezes when he feels his hands being freed of their hindrance, blinking several times as he stares in shock of the sliced rope on the ground.

"What-"

The second sword lands in front of him in a thud, startling him. When he looks up, Regina has rid herself of her cloak, appearing before him in tight beige pants and a furry vest tightened by a brown belt at the waist- a completely different look from the woman in a ripped pale blue dress that came to visit him.

"Prove it."

He frowns, hesitant as he glances between her and the sword, more than tempted to slice her throat without warning and kill everyone in this village down to the last woman and child, to put a definite end to the rebellion.

"You want to be freed from your bonds? Earn it. I know what you think of us," she resumes, still pacing in front of him, her eyes never leaving him, the tip of her blade drawing lines on the ground. "You've earned your reputation by killing many people from this group. Don't fool yourself, we don't have much more respect for you than you have for us because we've all lost someone because of you. But unlike the way you acted whenever you captured one of us, _I_ am ready to give you an option: You win this duel, you go back to your father today. The war will go on like it is, let the best one win." She crouches to be at eye-level with him. "But if _I_ win, you will put aside your insane ego and make the solemn promise on your and your sister's lives that you won't try to escape nor hurt anyone here, and that you'll give us a chance to show you who we truly are, and learn the truth about your legacy."

"My legacy?"

Regina's only answer is an arched eyebrow.

Robin sneers. That woman's nerve is borderline stupid, but this is going to be fun. He's going to teach her a thing or two, and she will regret kidnapping him.

"You really believe that you stand a chance against me?"

Regina doesn't even react to his provocation, her face staying perfectly neutral. "Promise me that you will not hurt anyone, and that you'll make some efforts in your behavior if you lose."

"What insurance do I have that you'll respect your word?"

"The fact that you're still alive is enough proof. You spent more time alive in that camp than any of my friends under your capture."

"True," he admits, snickering. All the rebels he's captured were dead in less than a day, to prevent any attempt of an escape or rescue mission.

"I've done my part, so now do yours."

Robin rolls his eyes. "I am going to win, so that's not necessary."

She points the tip of the blade under his chin, forcing him to tilt his chin up and straighten.

"It is for me."

Slightly and very carefully pushing the blade away, Robin swallows heavily, relenting. "I promise."

Regina smirks as she steps back, glancing towards the sword on the floor. "All right then, let the duel begin."

Robin gets up swiftly, lips curling into a sneer as he closes his fingers over the handle of the sword, his body reacting at the familiar weight and moving into an offensive position. He attacks almost immediately, the tip of his sword aiming for Regina's throat. He had planned to spare her miserable life when he believed she was but a slave, but she just gave him the best reasons to kill her.

She blocks his attack while jumping to the side, smirking at him, and all Robin wants to do is smack that boldness off her face. He shouts as he swings his blade in front of him once, twice, chasing her as she steps back. That coward barely fights, mostly avoiding him.

"Come on! Stop stalling!"

"Oh, but I'm just starting."

Robin keeps attacking, and she keeps deviating or avoiding his blows. That smug smirk is still there, taunting him, and his frustration grows. He aims at her leg then, almost manages to touch her, but that little traitor manages to avoid his blow at the last second. He blesses his reflexes when she unexpectedly lowers her sword on top of his head, and he blocks her attack just in time, heartbeat fast and breath short as he bounces back.

"Now, we're talking!"

She finally starts attacking him, and Robin revels in the adrenaline coursing through his veins, the pull of the fight stronger than ever, especially after two full years without a real fight. It shakes him, that feeling he's missed so much, gives him renewed energy as he pares and attacks, pares and attacks again, feet sliding on the ground to sidestep as she plunges forward. He ends up behind her, blade rising above her head, and he's _so_ ready to put an end to her miserable life. His fingers are tingling with the need to let the blade fall, biting on his lower lip in anticipation. He lowers the sword, blade horizontal over her shoulder, ready to strike and slice her throat.

A sudden and sore pain tears his stomach, and Robin feels projected backward, taking several steps back, a hand over his stomach, gasping for breath. He looks up, forcing through the stars dancing in front of his eyes, his vision clearing up just in time to see Regina swirl on her foot and crash her heel into his jaw.

The next thing Robin is aware of is the taste of dirt and blood in his mouth and the mud covering his cheek. He brings a hand to his lips and the inside of his cheek, pulling out two of his fingers tainted with blood, and lifts furious eyes towards Regina.

"You little bitch, you're going to pay for this!"

He rises sharply, solid on his feet, sword ready. He runs towards her, attacking her at her waist, her neck, her leg, continuing the string of attacks she manages to fend off over and over again, digging into his renewed energy and how much he wants to see her pretty head separated from her body to keep going.

Her face has become serious, and he knows that she's one hundred percent in this fight now, focused. Good. This will only make his victory more enjoyable.

He waits this time, letting her make the next move, and when she sends her sword forward, he closes the distance between them, avoiding her blade and grabbing her wrist, rolling on his feet and pressing his back to her front, using her arm as leverage to disarm her and throw her on the ground. He points the tip of his sword in her direction, victoriously grinning, ready to put an end to her miserable life.

"Are you ready to-"

A sudden and painful pressure against his right ankle makes him bend a knee and release his sword. By the time he looks up, black dots dancing before his eyes as pain spreads in his leg, Regina is up, two swords in her hands, one to the right of his throat, the other left of his waist, glaring at him.

"What were you saying?"

Robin forces himself to get through his pain. He gets up and quickly, jumps backward to avoid the blades, but Regina immediately straightens, lowers the swords and spins, hitting him in his stomach with her heel again. She chases him once he falls on his butt on the ground, her fist closed over the sword's handle as she punches him in the nose, projecting him against the ground again.

"Do yourself a favor, and don't get up."

Robin groans and shakes his head, which he regrets immediately, as it triggers a headache and increases the pain from his probably broken nose. He raises on his elbows with difficulty, his breath short, not ready to give up just yet. He's received blows in the past, but they didn't stop him from winning the fight. He won't let this little uneducated liar of a savage beat him.

He jumps up to his feet again, closing his hands into tight fists, spitting blood on the ground.

"Why should I? Are you afraid of me?"

Regina snickers, turning both swords in her hands and directing their blades toward him.

"You're not even a challenge. But I don't want to ruin that smug face of yours more than I already have."

"You wish!"

On her next move, Robin kicks his heel against one of her wrists, making her release one sword, smirks and begins to bend to retrieve it. But as he does, he feels Regina close her now free hand over his wrist and uses it to spin herself, placing herself behind him.

Robin anchors himself to the ground then, grabs her arm, ready to bump his butt against her pelvis and slightly bends forward in order to tackle her to the ground again. Except his movement is interrupted by her knee coming in contact with his thigh, shaking his balance and making him kneel while she blocks his arm in his back and puts her weight against his back, keeping him bent in half, the sharp edge of the sword against his throat.

Robin attempts to free himself, pulling on his arm, pushing her backward and trying to get up, but all he manages to do is make her tighten her grip on him, twist his arm and cut the skin of his neck.

"Do you really want to keep struggling and risk having your shoulder dislocated and your throat slit?" she whispers in his ear.

Robin huffs a raging breath, furious, humiliated, but she does have a point. The ache in his shoulder is so agonizing it's getting numb, and he can feel the pain and the blood pouring from the wound as the blade digs into the skin of his throat.

It takes all of his willpower, but after a few more seconds fighting and feeling nothing other than increased pain, he gives in and stops resisting her, his head falling forward and relaxing his entire body.

Regina releases him all at once, so he falls forward and catches himself on his hands, wincing as he rolls his injured shoulder, then brings a hand to his bleeding throat, frowning at the blood tainting his palm. She moves in front of him, staring him down as Robin raises bitter eyes at her.

He might be furious right now, might have lost a fight for the first time, but he gave his word that he'd respect her deal. Despite how frustrating this is, she won loyally, something that, as a soldier, he respects.

"By the way, you're not King yet, so don't make me call you _Your Majesty_. Last I heard, you're just the spoiled Prince, so the best you could hope for is _Your Royal Highness_. I thought you at least knew your standards, but you're in so far over your head that you don't even remember the basics properly." She looks up at two men behind him. "Take him back to his cabin."

Robin barely remembers being lifted and put on his feet, then pushed forward and locked up in his prison, as his mind is all over the place. It's focused on the fight that just happened. The unexpected strength and fighting abilities of the woman he thought was just a slave. The pain spreading in his body, as well as the blood still pouring from his wounds. His battered ego. She's humiliated him. _Him_. The best fighter in the kingdom. The Dark Prince. She won the duel, and Robin can't help but realize that… he's not mad at her. No. He's impressed. She's impressed him, has triggered his curiosity, and now he only wonders if she'll keep her word. Although considering the lack of rope around his hands this time, it looks like she will.

He spends a long while staring at the ground, frowning, trying to assess the situation, wondering who this woman really is and how she came to be the leader of the rebels. Now that he gives it more thought, he realizes that the rebels were respecting her, young and old, men and women. It could be her fighting abilities, because even he has to admit that she was excellent, but something is telling him that there's something else. That Regina -if that's even her real name- might be a woman full of secrets.

The door cracks open, and Robin's head snaps up, settling upon her frame as she walks inside and closes the door behind her without even sparing him a glance despite the fact that he's free to throw himself at her and strangle her to death. Not that the thought hasn't occurred to him, but again, he made the promise not to attack any of them if he were to lose the fight.

She places a large basin of clean water and several cloths on the small table in front of him, pulls out several vials from the satchel hanging across her chest, a pile that appears to be clothes, and finally, her eyes meet his.

For a moment, they observe each other in silence. She retrieves a small stool behind her and sits in front of him, at his level for the first time. Despite his bruised ego and frustration, he can't find it in himself to resent her. Because looking deep into her eyes, there's something different. She's changed the way she looks at him. Her defiance hasn't faded, is mixed with the dullness of her gaze that mesmerizes him, but this time, she seems more relaxed than she's ever been.

"That was a good fight."

She's spoken the words with reverence, and Robin knows she means them.

"Where did you learn how to fight?"

She ducks her head. "That's a long story. Maybe you'll get to hear it if you prove me right."

She scoots closer, wets a cloth and carefully approaches him.

"May I?"

When he grants his permission, she applies it against the wound at his throat, pressing slightly to stop the bleeding.

"Aren't you afraid I might hurt you?"

She pauses, looks at him with shining eyes empty of any fear. "Why should I? You gave me your word that you wouldn't, didn't you?"

They stare at each other for a moment, and despite her confidence, he can read her wariness, pain flashing in her brown orbs. It lasted for less than a second, but it was enough to make him wonder what she could be hiding. She seems secretive but strong, determined. Nothing like all the women he's used to facing. Women of high rank would faint from the sole idea of wearing the same clothing as hers, and even more from fighting with and better than a man. Which makes him wonder...

"Why this masquerade?"

She looks up at his question, frowning deeply as she puts the vial she was pouring on the cloth on the table between them.

"Why didn't you tell me who you were immediately?"

"Because I needed to see for myself who you really were. Besides, I had a feeling you wouldn't have believed me."

"And now?"

She quirks an eyebrow, smirking as she applies a bandage on his wound.

"Didn't I prove myself enough?"

Robin can't help it. He chuckles. Because yes, she did. Despite his frustration and humiliation, she did fight and won by the rules.

"You pretended you were just a servant, and made me believe you weren't the leader."

"Did I?" She hands him a small vial, and when he sternly stares at it, she explains. "To help with the pain. I'm going to put your nose back into place."

He instinctively leans back. "Do you know how to do it?"

The pointed look she sends him is enough of an answer. He grabs and empties the vial, places it back on the table and inhales sharply as she places her hands on his nose. The sound of bones moving is nothing in comparison to the pain spreading on his face, and he lets out a loud cry as he brings his hands to his nose, eyes shut tight. She stays silent until the pain lessens and he looks back at her.

"I never said anything to make you believe I was either a servant or the commander. I never even implied that the person leading the rebels was a man. You jumped to your own conclusions."

"But leaders wouldn't lower themselves to serve food to a prisoner..."

Realizing that she's the one treating his injuries despite the fact that he knows her real identity now, Robin closes his mouth. Their short discussions hit him as well, and he realizes that indeed, she didn't say anything about who she was.

"I told you already, this isn't a castle. I don't see myself the way you see yourself." she explains matter-of-factly while cleaning the blood from his face.

"Fair enough." Robin concedes with a snort. "Now that I finally know who you are, can we talk of more serious matters?" At her nod, he adds. "Why did you kidnap me?"

She leans back, lets out a long exhale, raising dull eyes at him. "I want to give you the chance your father never gave us: To make peace without a bloodbath."

"Isn't that what the last two years have been?"

Instead of answering him directly, she shakes her head. "Here's what is going to happen: For a month, we'll show you who we are. You will sit at our table, share our meals, our chores, will live our lives. Meanwhile, I will also show you the truth about your father's reign. By the end of the month, you will go back to your home, safe and sound. The decision to continue or put an end to the war, therefore saving hundreds of lives from both sides, will be yours."

If Robin listened to her all the way through, one thing got his attention, reminding him of what she briefly mentioned earlier.

"The truth about my father's reign?"

Regina's eyes suddenly cloud. "Trust me, you'll understand when you'll see it for yourself."

"So that's it? I'll get to walk freely around this place for an entire month?"

"As long as you keep your word and don't try to escape or hurt any of us, yes."

Robin is stunned by her answer. Either she has faith that her plan will work, or she's completely insane. Yet, he has to admit that he and his father never gave any of the rebels such an opportunity. They never gave them a chance at all. Being captured meant being executed with no chance at an escape or a grace. His father had made sure of that.

Deep down, he can't help wondering what must push this woman to put so many people's lives at risk on a bet, why she's so willing to trust him and what it is that she wants to show him that she believes will make him change his mind.

One thing is certain in his mind though: She's a soldier to whom he gave his word. And he never breaks a promise that has been made on the battlefield.

"Very well then."

For the first time, Regina smiles. It was brief, she caught herself at the last second and the smile faded into nothing in the blink of an eye, but it was there, and that's how he knows her relief is genuine.

She grabs the empty vials, but leaves the basin, clean cloth and clothing on the table as she rises.

"You can wash yourself and change into clean clothes while I ask someone to prepare your lunch. I'll bring it back to you in a bit. And if you feel like it, tonight, you'll get to eat with us."

A second later, she's gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Robin discovers more about the rebels, and Regina begins to lift the veil on all the deaths that have taken place in the kingdom.
> 
> So? What do you think?


	4. Living with the rebels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N : There's nothing like spending an awful week to make me update sooner than planned XD 
> 
> I'm sorry, I'm behind with answering your reviews, but the last weeks have been exhausting, and it's not getting better for now. Hopefully I'll get to catch up soon. 
> 
> A huge thank you to Morgan for betareading this, and to Nani for coping with my many questions and brainstormings. You girls rock!

* * *

His first meal with the rebels was... awkward, to say the least.

People had been mostly silent or whispering, clearly not wanting him to hear anything they'd say. The ones sat at his table were uncomfortable, avoiding his gaze, finishing their meal as soon as possible to put as much distance between him and them as possible. He had felt the stares throughout the entire dinner, to the point that Regina had had to intervene and remind them to mind their own business. Be kind with our guest, she had said.

A guest.

That's what she called him. Even though he had to ask for his ration of food, bring it to the table, clean up his bowl, spoon and cup with the well's water himself!

Also, despite all of her pretenses, Robin could sense the distance she put between them, the dullness of her gaze when she met his, how even she struggled to start conversation. She pretends that she's giving him a chance, but she's also fighting her own feelings, whatever they are.

As for him? If he accepted eating at the same table as the vermin he's been hunting all his life, it's only to return the attention Regina provided earlier. He has no affection, no interest in getting to know the rebels. He'll follow his promise, will go back to his father's castle, and will come back to destroy them all.

Regina also allowed him to bathe in the river, even though there are two heavily armed men not far away, waiting to bring him back to the camp. As if they would be enough to stop him…

He washes himself with the ointments he was given, missing his hot bath in a tub, and the servant washing his back, arms and legs, dearly. He misses the softness of his sheets made of pure cotton, of his thick, comfortable mattress and feather pillow. The fruity perfume of his sister and mother that would embalm the castle and, on most days, annoy him, now sounds like heaven compared to that smelly village full of dirt and sweat. Even the clothes they gave him are not worthy of his rank, they are barely a bunch of patch-up tissues.

He made a promise, but it's going to be an extremely long month.

xxx

No one is paying attention to him.

Regina told him she would join him after a meeting, and left him to wander on his own and get bored in the meantime. So he walks through the village, looking around. Unlike what he had thought, the rebels aren't well-trained soldiers. They are mostly farmers, and spend their time taking care of the crops and the few pigs and chickens they have. They are poor, that much is obvious. He immediately noticed it when he sat down at their table and saw that the dish served to him was as full as the others' and that the pot containing the stew was scraped to the last drop. "You've had as much as anyone else," Regina told him on his first day here, and she was right. She pretends to be a leader, when she can barely feed the people who follow her... Nothing here to brag about. At least, his people are well-fed and taken care of, his father makes sure of that.

Actually, he's never even been to a village, as his parents keep him and his sister away from the little people– except public executions, but most of the crowd is usually made of nobles. They made sure their education was perfect, their dating was top-notch. When traveling, the windows of the carriages are always covered with curtains letting the light through but not the view, and with time, Robin got so used to it that he forgot the curiosity to see what the other world was like. Today, he is completely indifferent to it.

He recognizes a few faces he noticed during dinner yesterday: an old man with the top of his head bald and patches of white hair and a goatee on both sides of his face, who appears to be the father of a child with red hair. A man with curly red hair smiling at everyone except him. A young woman with a blond bun and blue eyes, all dressed in green. A man with a white wolf with red and black eyes. And the old shrew who dragged him unceremoniously to Regina yesterday.

He didn't bother to remember their names, he doesn't even care. In twenty-seven days, he'll be back home.

"Who you are?"

Robin startles, looking around in search of whoever spoke, finding no one, until... There's this child, this tiny human being barely three feet tall, with dark hair and eyes, looking at him curiously. Robin searches for anyone else whom the child might have been talking to, but there's no one near. He looks down at the little boy, unsure of how to react, yet also relieved to feel free to speak with someone who doesn't want to rip his head from his body.

"I'm Prince Robin Sebastian, first of my name, first and only son of King Leopold, and future King of this Kingdom!" he answers proudly.

The child's eyes widen in amazement. "Whoaaaaaa! You gonna be King?"

Robin chuckles. Finally, someone who appreciates him for what he's worth. "I will! And I'll be a great King!"

"You live in a castle?"

Smiling for the first time since he arrived, Robin beams at the child, who's the only one here who seems to be interested in him. "I do. Do you know what a castle is like?" The boy shakes his stunned head. "It's really big. My bedroom alone is as large as this area." He waves towards the place where they are standing. "My bed is large enough that four adults could sleep in it. The curtains are thick and completely block the sun's rays from coming in. There are carpets in every room. The east and west wings are so far apart from each other that it can take up to fifteen minutes to go from one place to another. There are servants everywhere, for everything. We hold huge banquets with exquisite food and wine, nothing like the small bowls of soup that are served here. It's paradise."

He pauses, waiting for a reaction, but what he finds are two brown orbs wide open in confusion, and he realizes that he completely lost the child who has no idea what he's talking about.

"You talk funny." The boy scrunches his nose and tilts his head to the side, as if he is scrutinizing him. "What with your nose?"

Robin isn't sure how to answer this, he certainly won't admit to a child who's admiring him that he got his butt kicked by a woman. "It's nothing, just a little accident."

"You have fluffs? My mommy give me my fluffy bear when I'm hurt. She say all is better with my bear and he look after me."

Robin scoffs. "I don't need a fluff, I'm not a baby."

"Henry!"

Robin frowns, glancing up to see a thin woman with long heavy dark hair and a red cape look in their direction, eyes set on the child.

The little boy grins as he turns towards her.

"Come here!" she calls authoritatively.

Robin understands immediately that she's trying to get the boy away from him. Henry looks back at him, flashing him a toothy grin that would be utterly adorable if he cared about that child.

"Bye!"

The next second, he's running towards the woman, probably his mother, and he watches as she crouches in front of him, whispering words he does not hear. She doesn't seem very pleased, if the boy's bowed head and the several furious glances she casts in Robin's direction are any indication.

But before she gets up, something catches Henry's eye, and he screams a very distinct and excited _Mommy!_ before jumping into someone's arms.

Robin's eyes widen in shock when he recognizes the woman who lifts him in her arms, laughing and pressing a kiss to his cheek before hugging him tightly and beginning to chat with the other woman. Blood freezes in his veins. He didn't see this one coming, and almost fell in her trap. She used her own son to try to influence him, probably to sneak information out of him. What kind of mother would do that? It angers him, has him fisting his hands as he blows out, annoyed by his foolishness.

"Are you alright?"

Robin blinks, his vision clearing up and revealing Regina, who watches him with a look of surprise and, if he was stupid enough to believe it, something that almost resembles concern.

"I didn't think you'd stoop to that." he spits.

Her eyebrow arches. "I'm sorry?"

Robin vaguely waves behind her, to where the woman and Henry were standing moments earlier. "Send me your son to get information out of me. How lame and desperate of you!"

Regina's face switches completely then, and he's taken aback by the look of utter shock dancing in her eyes.

"If you think that I would use my four-year-old son to spy on you, then you're a lot farther off than I thought. For your information, Henry is forbidden to see you again. I don't want you to ruin him like your father ruined you."

Robin's reaction is instinctive then. He closes the distance between them, grabs her arm harshly, squeezing tightly as his nails dig into her skin, their faces so close he can smell the amber scent of the oil she must have put on her skin.

"You know nothing about me, or my father."

"I wouldn't venture on that road quite yet if I were you. I'm not certain that you're ready to hear the truth about where you come from."

Robin's mind immediately draws a blank at her words, wondering what she means, but before he gets to ask, her eyes are glancing between his fingers holding her and his face, her voice thick and low as she growls.

"Now, get off me or I'll have no other choice but to break your fingers."

"You wish!"

"Don't try me! I already kicked your ass once. I have no problem doing that a second time."

Robin holds on at first, very tempted to go down that road, to get into a fight with her again, to, this time, teach her a lesson. But her words are still clear in his ears, the implication that he doesn't know the whole story slowly making its way into his mind, despite how much he tells himself that she's lying. Yet he won't get answers if they keep fighting one another.

He releases her by pushing at her arm and taking a step back, eyes never leaving hers, holding out a ragged breath.

"Are you willing to listen to me now?"

Robin notices how her demeanor has changed, how she's now on her guard, defensive, all trace of the happiness he was able to read on her face when she was with her son long gone. She must be taking his lack of answer as a yes, because she begins to walk past him, a slight duck of her head the only indication for him to follow her, which, after a short hesitation, he does. The walk through the camp is silent, the tense atmosphere left by their exchange still hanging between them. Robin avoids all the wary and hateful looks he receives, holding himself with dignity despite the rags they gave him and his mud-covered boots.

They cross the entire camp, going deep into the forest surrounding it, and Regina's pace never slows down until suddenly, she stops dead. Robin almost collides with her, catches himself at the last second, and walks around her, frowning at her stillness. When she doesn't react, he follows her gaze, which is fixed on something in front of her.

He notices a massive rock in the middle of a clearing whose surface seems to have been polished, but on which there are still rough traces that he has difficulty identifying. Regina remains silent beside him, and he approaches slowly, recognizing what appear to be engravings, until he is only three feet away and understands what lies in front of him.

Names. Dozens of them, carved into the rock. Who those names belong to is easy to understand: Their dead. He's contemplating the rebels' gravestone...

Something inside him, a deep, dull voice, tells him to laugh at it. They were only traitors to their King, murderers who deserved to perish by the sword, strangers to whom he has no care, who mean nothing to him.

But another voice, louder, more intense, extinguishes the first one. These names can be counted in tens, more than a hundred at a glance, perhaps even two hundreds. A number that should make him happy. And he smugly grins at it at first, inwardly congratulating himself.

Until, for some reason that he cannot grasp, he is reminded of his sister, of his parents, and David. Those people so dear to his heart. Which makes him realize, that on that wall are sisters, brothers, parents, children. Friends. Robin forces himself to look elsewhere, but he is unable to do so, especially when his gaze falls on a particular name. A name he heard only minutes ago for the first time. He could be wrong, but his instincts rarely fail him.

"Your father."

In place of an answer, Regina steps forward, her chocolate eyes filled with a sadness he hasn't encountered since he arrived, going through the list of names facing them.

"A few have died of old age. But for the majority, whether they were wounded in battle, executed, or murdered, the responsibility for their deaths lies with you and your family."

She turns to him, meeting his eyes for the first time since they argued outside his cabin.

"We are nothing to you, and we have also killed many of your soldiers, I'm aware of that. But can you, in your soul and conscience, tell me the names of all those who fell in the name of your family? Can you tell me who they were?"

Her hand is on the rock in a movement both tender and firm, her fingers and face tensing with the pain that pierces her voice and her gaze.

"I knew every single person whose name is written here... Hector, the boilermaker of his village, who was arrested and then executed for accidentally jostling a Royal Guard soldier while his arms were loaded with materials for his work. Anita, both daughter, widow and mother, was raped, and then sentenced to death for defending a family that could not pay its taxes. Thomas, a 17-year-old boy, deaf, mortally wounded and thrown into a ravine like a sack of garbage, on your father's orders, for having the impudence to cross the road in front of the carriage he was traveling in with your mother, and whom Thomas didn't hear coming."

She stops, her eyes and hand resting on two last names carved side by side, one of him being the one that jumped out at him earlier, her voice and her angry look softening as she says.

"Henry, loving father and husband. Murdered for simply being who he was." Her eyes find his, freezing the blood in his veins with the intensity of her words, though they only confirm what he'd already guessed. "His execution, along with his wife's Cora, and their barely two years-old daughter Zelena, have left their younger daughter an orphan at the age of just six months."

After a silence of barely a few seconds, insufficient to allow him to recover from these revelations, Regina resumes with a more confident voice, taking over the role and the aplomb of a leader in which he discovered her yesterday.

"These people were my friends, my family. Not all of them died in battle. Most of them weren't even fighters, you've probably never even heard of them. They were the ones you thought were raped and murdered by the rebels. They were the ones you thought you were fighting for. Your father's tyrannical reign and lust for power, coupled with his men's thirst for blood and violence, are the reasons the people rebelled. We are not the cause of the war. We are its consequence."

"You're lying." are the first and only words that slip from his mouth without him even realizing. He's listened to her entire monologue, has watched and heard the heartbreak and honesty in her words, has felt the strength of her beliefs in the way her hand was flexing against the stone to avoid the pain to overwhelm her.

She seems to be telling the truth, the conviction in her tone has shaken him.

But he can't accept it. She's a liar, just like all of her kind, all the ones who stand against his father. She must have convinced herself of what she just said, because the King he knows and respects isn't capable of harming innocent people. Traitors, thieves, criminals, yes. But not innocents. His father is a good King, who loves his people, who is loved by them. He takes care of them, and his men are trained and faithful soldiers here to protect the land. They aren't ruthless.

There's a knot of uneasiness forming in his stomach, bile rising in his mouth, making him feel sick, dizziness taking over him as he fights the possibility that this could all be true despite his instinct that, again, tells him to believe this woman he's only known for three days and hates from deep within.

Regina's eyes are dull, intense. Full of pain. Her jaw is tense, her body rigid.

"I am not. You'll have the proof of that before the end of the month."

Once again, she turns her back on him and begins to leave, and Robin forces through his daze state to put one foot in front of the other and follow her. She's silent again, and he's too stunned to react or ask any question. They stop once back at the border of the village, next to a ruined wooden bridge. Robin doesn't immediately notice the man sanding a tree trunk cut into large square posts until Regina approaches him and the man stands up and faces them. He has a large stomach, a round face and long curly hair, and unlike the others, he doesn't look at him with hatred, but mostly suspicion. His brown eyes are filled with a kindness Robin figures isn't meant for him, but at least he doesn't look like he wants to skin him alive.

"This is Little John. He's working on repairing the bridge. His partner, Alan, was injured last week and he needs a hand."

"What does this have to do with me?"

The man named Little John– how odd for someone so big- takes a step forward, offering a dirty hand that Robin looks at with disgust and refuses to take. "You will help me rebuild the bridge."

Robin's brow shoots up so high it almost hurts, as he scoffs. "Right. I'm a Prince, not a stooge."

Regina and Little John exchange a look that tells Robin he's not out of trouble just yet.

"It wasn't an offer. We are hosting you, sharing our food with you. The least you can do is repay the favor," Regina replies forcefully. "Little John is actually the only person in this camp besides me who agreed to spend time with you. You should be glad. So I suggest you get off your soapbox and get to work."

Robin huffs, looking away. He won't lower himself to doing handiwork. That's beneath him. Yet, as the axe stretched in his direction enters his sight, Robin knows that, for a reason that he ignores and annoys him greatly, she's won again.

He snorts as he snatches the axe from Little John. "Very well. Since I don't have a choice!"

"And behave!" Regina turns towards Little John. "Don't hesitate to let me know if he's trouble."

The man laughs loudly, clasping the handle of his hammer in his hand. "Don't worry! I know how to tame his kind. I'll get the job done."

Robin is left alone with the man, staring at him incredulously, half furious, half ashamed that he let them have their way so easily. Except the words Regina spoke to him haven't left his mind, her implication of what his father might be responsible for blurring his ability to think. Without her treacherous gaze that troubles his mind, he would simply know that none of this is true. Yet the sadness that emanated from her doesn't leave him alone, hampering his ability to reason.

Damn that woman! She's a good actress, plays her role finely. But by the end of the month, he'll have forgotten all about her attempt to make him turn his back on his family, and, free of his promise, he'll destroy her village, everyone who's insulted him, and will bring back her head, freshly severed, to his father.

"Have you ever used an axe?"

Robin blinks several times to clear his blurry vision.

"Excuse me?"

Little John nods towards the axe in his hands. "Have you ever used it? You need to be precise and strike strongly, if possible, at the same spot several times until the wood is sliced. I can do it, show you first, and you'll try a bit later."

"No, I'm fine." Robin shrugs him off, lifting the axe above his head. "I'm not stupid." He lets the blade fall once. "Besides, anyone could do…" Twice. "That."

Staring at the two notches separated at least by four inches, grimacing as he willfully ignores Little John's smugness and mockery, Robin needs all his willpower not to sentence the man to death when he bumps into his shoulder, ripping the axe from his hands and declaring, "Anyone indeed! Come on, watch me! I'll show you."

The hour left until lunch, and then the rest of the afternoon, is a real nightmare. Robin spends so much time biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from kicking the man's ass and shutting him up that the taste of blood has invaded his mouth, a dull pain settling in his cheek, pounding in his face. Once Little John finally calls it a day, Robin looks at his hands, their skin, usually so soft and perfect, which has become rough, rippled, and lacerated in places, streaks of blood filling the lifelines in which he used to let his sister pretend to read his future when they were only children. He stretches and flexes his bruised fingers, wincing in pain.

Little John is still blabbering, hasn't stopped for a single second all day. One would think that the guy Robin replaced didn't hurt himself but rather ran away from the incessant and exhausting stream of words coming out of that fool's mouth.

Robin relents in helping him store all the tools in a small cabin, but once that's done, without even warning Little John, he walks away, almost running in the direction of his cabin, closing the door behind him, and breathing out in relief.

Silence.

For the first time in hours, he can experience silence, and damn, he never liked it before, but right now it sounds like heaven.

Robin opens his eyes... and holds back a scream, a hand over his racing heart, pressing his back against the door as he looks incredulously at the person who's sitting on his bed, her piercing brown eyes and annoying smirk set on him.

"I admit I wasn't sure you could handle Little John's incessant chatter for the rest of the day without flinching. I was sure you'd give up by mid-afternoon. I'm impressed."

Robin straightens, relaxing slightly. "That guy's worse than a princess. Even my sister's not that stultifying."

Regina gets up, chuckling. "He means no harm, that's just how he is. I appreciate that you didn't shut him up though."

"The idea did cross my mind a few times, trust me!"

"But you didn't." She stops in front of him. "Thank you."

Robin frowns at that. He certainly didn't expect her to thank him for simply putting up with the most annoying guy he's ever met. But it's nice, although that's not something he's willing to tell her quite yet. He ducks his head reverently. "Like you said, he means no harm."

The outline of a smile on her face warms his heart, and Robin finds himself struggling with his own smile, losing the battle and accepting to give back some of what he has been given. It's Regina who breaks the moment first, clearing her throat and placing a strand of hair back behind her ear, looking at something he hadn't noticed until now, a large bowl of fresh water, clean cloths, and several vials.

"I brought you all you need to clean yourself up a bit, and also some mixtures for your hands." She grabs one of his wrists, turns it over to examine the bruised skin on his palm, frowning. "Give them at least 24 hours to heal. Tomorrow, I'll take you with me to the town. That should be interesting."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Robin has to face the reality of what really occurs in the kingdom.


	5. The outside world

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Enjoy a new chapter of this story!
> 
> A few warning triggers before you start reading it: There are some brief mentions of child abuse, an allusion to sexual assault, and physical violence in this chapter. It's not omnipresent, but I believe it's worth being mentioned. 

* * *

After that afternoon with Little John, Robin felt a bit more at ease in the village. The man may have been incredibly exhausting, but that evening during dinner, he praised his perseverance in continuing his work despite his difficulties to everyone within earshot. The mistrust, though always present, made room for some sort of appreciation, and the rebels' tongues were gently loosened, allowing Robin to engage in discussion with some of the people around him.

He met Alan, whose broken arm was held by a scarf, and Graham, the man with the white wolf, the lonely hunter of the village who brings back food regularly to prevent the population from lacking food; Isabelle, nicknamed Tinkerbell or Tink, a young woman just eighteen years old, curious, in love with nature, whose main occupation consists of seeking new landscapes or scenes to draw; Belle, daughter of the unsuccessful inventor Maurice, the very man who designed the mechanism that kept his hands tied when he arrived. She herself is a village scholar, an assiduous reader except when dining, who dreams of an epic life made up of adventures and love stories. He learns that the old man he already noticed, Geppetto, is the village carpenter, that the man with glasses and curly red hair is called Archie and happens to be Geppetto's best friend.

Robin still ignores who are the old woman who took him to Regina the previous day, the man with a walking stick, and the brunette whom he thought was Henry's mother before Regina showed up, for those three are carefully staying away from him. There is also this man with the face of a weasel and a dark skin, perpetually glued to Regina, his bulging eyes fixed on her, who doesn't inspire a bit of trust in him, but who seems to be one of the important people at the camp.

However, that evening talking and drinking allowed him to relax, and although he will never admit it out loud, it wasn't as annoying as he expected. The food wasn't that bad when eaten in a cheerful atmosphere, and he did enjoy the ale produced by a man named Jefferson, who was absent from the village to sell it in towns' markets.

Alcohol helping loosen his tongue, he fraternized with the enemy that evening. His parents would be outraged at his conduct, but he has discovered a group of bon vivants, who aren't looking at him with disapproval for simply drinking a bit more than what would be considered proper. In spite of the rebels' lack of mannerisms and excess of familiarity, and his deep disgust and hate for them, not feeling that his every move and gesture is scrutinized like his parents so love to do –which annoys him more than he can tell- is a more than pleasant feeling.

Nevertheless, this temporary truce did not prevent him from remembering his discovery of the day: the stone wall with the names engraved on it. Regina may have exaggerated the truth, but the pain in the eyes of these people when they landed on him was unmistakable, even when his body was filled with more alcohol than blood, even more now that he thinks back on the evening with a clear mind. They have all lost someone dear to them. Their grief has been put aside for a good meal, but it is no less present, to deny it would be like denying the war itself.

"Are you ready?"

Robin nods and follows Regina to a meadow where horses are peacefully grazing. His mind is captivated by the beautiful animals at first, before moving to the incredible landscape, to the plain that melts into a forest stretching almost as far as the eye can see, a bright sun shining its light on the kingdom of the Enchanted Forest. _His_ kingdom. His legacy. Pride fills him at the thought that this will be his to care for one day, and he knows he'll be as amazing, if not better than, his father at ruling it.

But the reverie ends when Regina takes a step forward and enters his sight, and that strange feeling that invades him whenever she's near and it's only the two of them, fills him again. A mix between a visceral hatred and need to kill her that had taken possession of him when he realized she was the head of the rebellion, but also, a deep admiration and respect. Her ability to be open-minded and hopeful, yet strict and strong at the same time, as well as an excellent fighter, unsettle him, make him almost drop his guard when it's only the two of them and her tone is more gentle than it is in public. Yet, her voice does hold a crack in its depth that speaks volumes of how much she's holding back her real feelings, whatever they are. And somehow, for a reason foreign to him, he secretly hopes he'll learn more about who's hiding behind this curious and secretive woman.

"Come here, beautiful."

Robin silently observes as Regina walks to a horse, hand held, palm up, letting the animal come to her, scratching its nose and collar as it nudges her shoulder gently. Looking around them more carefully, he realizes that the horses are free, the clearing unfenced. Yet, the one Regina called came to her instinctively, and judging by the way it is with her, they've tamed each other already.

"Are they... wild horses?"

He steps closer, and the animal stiffens, ears straight, taut. It takes reassurance from Regina for it to stay where it is, as she holds out her hand, motioning for him to stay silent and still.

Robin watches as she shushes the horse's fear, reassuring it, whispering things in its ear he cannot hear, focusing the animal's attention on her again. He stares, mesmerized, at the trust that exists between the two, and the way she puts the reins on and climbs on its bare back easily, the horse calm under her palm. Robin takes it as his cue to join her, and he does, takes one, then two steps forward, but it was a mistake. The horse neighs and hooves immediately, stepping several steps back despite Regina's reassurance, who lifts her hand up again, ordering him to stop.

"Rocinante is a good judge of character," she explains softly while patting the horse's collar. "You'll have to prove yourself to him before he'll let you near him."

"A good judge of character? I love horses, and it didn't even feel that. So much for being instinctive," Robin retorts.

"Perhaps if you were considering him as a living being and not a thing," Regina answers as she pats her horse's collar.

Robin rolls his eyes, arms crossed over his chest and squinting to look at her while the sun is blinding him. "What are your plans? To let me walk behind while you're horseback riding? Because you can be certain that I won't go along with that."

Frowning and tilting her chin behind him, she motions for someone to approach, and Robin spins on his heels to find the man named Graham holding the reins of a beautiful brown mare, this one saddled and looking a lot calmer than the stallion Regina climbed on.

"Lacey has a good temper; anyone can ride her."

"I'm not anyone," Robin bites.

"You are to them. Come on!" As is her usual habit, Regina leaves without giving him time to reply. Ripping the reins from Graham's hand, he sends a tentative hand towards the mare, realizing that she is, indeed, calm and easy to handle, that she lets him climb on her back without flinching. He gallops to catch up with Regina, and once they're side by side, she lifts a challenging eyebrow, her lips tipping up into something that resembles a smirk, and sends her horse at a fast speed through the forest.

Surprised at first, Robin quickly catches on to what she's doing, sending Lacey to race with Rocinante and Regina, almost reaching them, but the woman is a minx who constantly blocks their path, forbidding them from passing.

In this moment, as they both race through the forest, wind whipping his face, fresh air entering his lungs, blood thrumming through his veins, Robin feels lighter than he's been in a very long time. For a moment in time, he forgets all about the situation, about who that woman is, about his thirst for her head, as they chase each other like children, both unable to hold back a grin as they glance at each other repeatedly.

She's an entirely different woman, Regina. With her hair escaping her braid and flying around her face, her eyes shining with malice, that tooth occasionally digging into her lower lip, she looks younger, happier, than what she let him see of her before now. The mask of pain gone, he's stricken by her beauty, what he thought was simply potential, but is in fact right here for him to see, when she allows him to. He's mesmerized by her stance, her determination, the brightness of her chocolate orbs, and almost misses the moment she pulls on Rocinante's reins suddenly, halting their race and slowing down her horse's speed to come back to a simple walk.

Reacting instinctively, Robin manages to stop Lacey next to Rocinante, eyes finding Regina's again, but he's disappointed when he finds her mask back on, all traces of the woman he raced with gone.

Her eyes are fixed on something in front of her, and Robin follows her gaze, his own eyes widening when they exit the thick cover of the forest to enter what he assumes is a town. This is the first time that he's been given the opportunity to see one for himself, and he's glad. This place will prove how much his father is loved and how he takes care of his subjects. It will be a demonstration of the prosperity of the kingdom, which Regina will not be able to deny.

Climbing down from her horse, Regina grabs Rocinante's nose between her hands, looking the animal in the eye before whispering a few words Robin doesn't hear. After he dismounted Lacey and gave it a gentle stroke on the collar, thanking it for the ride, he turns to Regina, who's waiting for him at the edge of the forest.

"Stay close to me, pull your hood up, and keep your mouth shut. People here aren't really fond of your family. If they find out that you're the Prince, things will get ugly."

Robin stops her by grabbing her arm, releasing her when she half turns towards him and lifts an eyebrow.

"Is this another one of your tricks?"

"I'm sorry?"

"People love my family, they worship us! Did you make something up to try to convince me otherwise?"

Regina's eyes darken then, and she plants her heels in the ground in front of him, her tone cold and distant, back to the tough woman he's faced a few times since she revealed her true identity to him.

"You can fool yourself with all the lies in the world. I am here to show you the truth. Whether you accept it or not, is entirely up to you. But for someone who's never seen anything but the golden walls of castles, you should learn humility instead of spitting so much shit at once."

Robin restrains himself from punishing her for her words, heavily swallowing the bitterness stuck in his throat, and follows her steps, entering the town, eyes wide and taking in everything that appears before him.

He discovers a large marketplace full of food stalls and tools of all kinds, crowded with people jostling to try to be the first to be served.

The surrounding houses are made of thatched roofs, walls of stone, beams and lime. The streets are muddy, making him wince when he senses moisture through his poor-quality boots. The people around him are busy like ants, going from stand to stand, buying bread, vegetables, and materials to repair their houses. Children run and play together in the middle of the crowd, and more than once Robin feels Regina pull him out of the way to avoid being bumped into.

Truly, there's nothing bad in the scene taking place around him. Sure, people aren't wearing fine clothing and jewelry, but he wasn't naïve enough to think everyone would dress properly. But people don't seem unhappy, which confirms what he suspected, that Regina told him a bunch of lies.

"Careful!"

He's yanked to the side by Regina when the group of children cross the area and almost crash into him, and Robin huffs in annoyance. He'd catch one by the collar and teach him manners if he had the chance.

"Is there anyone watching those kids? Or keeping them under control at least?"

Instead of answering him, Regina nods her chin towards an alley behind the market, grabbing him by the arm and guiding him through the crowd.

She turns into an empty alleyway, one that smells of urine and feces, and drags him down it, ignoring the stench around him, so bad it would make anyone retch.

"What the-?"

Robin falls silent at the sight of soiled blankets piled up under stones, hidden in the shelter of a recess in the house, behind a manger, under a half-perforated fabric canvas that must have served as a makeshift roof, but whose effectiveness in its current state is doubtful.

"This is your answer."

Robin's eyes widen, confused. "What are you talking about?"

An arm stretched out towards the blankets, Regina explains, her voice hoarse.

"The children you saw earlier. This is where they live."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Why would I lie to you? Who else would it belong to?"

"I'm willing to bet that if that was true, you would have gotten them out of this dump. Surely, the chief of the rebels, who proclaims that my father doesn't treat his people properly, wouldn't leave kids on the street by themselves."

"I'm not lacking in envy, I assure you. But if I intervened, at least one of them, if not several, would be killed. They work for your father, Robin," she reveals in an ice-cold voice. "Everywhere, throughout the kingdom, he has children taken from their families, sometimes even had their parents murdered before their very eyes, so that the children know what he is capable of."

Feeling a knot forming in his belly, his senses disturbed by the surrounding pestilential smell, Robin shakes his head and snorts. "Why would he do that?"

"To get spies," Regina explains. "Spies trained from a young age, hungry, beaten, abused, weakened so that none of them would rebel, who have to give his soldiers' information about what happens in the kingdom, and are also trained to steal money from the villagers. Spies that he makes grow up in a group so that they develop bonds of friendship and brotherhood stronger than anything else. Every week, one of them is kept hostage in a secret place, to ensure the obedience of the rest of the group. Trust me, you don't want to know what happens to them during those weeks."

Looking down at her from his taller height, Robin challenges, "Try me!"

Shock fills her brown eyes, lingering on him for a moment, and he can sense her hesitation, how she's not certain he's ready to hear the truth. But he is. Surely, it can't be that bad. All of this must simply be a set up anyway.

Regina takes two long strides until she's barely an inch from him, her voice so low he barely hears her, but the tremor of her raging tone is obvious.

"A child, usually a girl, alone with a group of soldiers whose only goal is to have fun, for an entire week. What do you think could happen there?"

Moving away almost immediately, as if she just got burnt, she kneels down in front of the blankets, pulls a few fruits and a large piece of bread wrapped in a clean cloth from her satchel, and places them in the least dirty corner of the area, out of sight. She then gets up without a word, and guides him out of this unhealthy place. "I can do nothing but bring them a little food, for I cannot save them all at once, and I refuse to let one die on behalf of the others."

"If that was true, that means you'd rather watch them wither away while you live your life quietly," Robin snaps.

He understands his mistake immediately. Regina turns around, facing him and pinning him against the wall before he can react, her forearm against his throat, pressing firmly, cutting off his breath for a moment, before she releases the pressure slightly.

"And you look away from reality!" The fury in her eyes freezes his blood in his veins, leaving him stunned and aghast when she releases him and takes a step back. "You claim that the people are happy and content, but what do you know about it? Have you ever set foot in a place like this before? Do you have any evidence, other than the ballrooms full of nobles who stuff themselves all day long on the backs of the poor, that I am lying? Tell me, _Your Royal Highness_ , how convinced are you that your father is a saint, when you have before you the ultimate misery for which he is directly responsible? If you pretend to have minimal amount of interest in your people, then open your eyes and understand that the reason why your father still hasn't managed to stop us after so many years, despite the network of spies he has set up, is because the entire population silently supports us."

A noise behind them makes her freeze, and Regina turns away from him to look at a child barely five or six years old, whose eyes light up at the sight of the young woman.

"Regina!"

Regina kneels down, her arms wide open, and the little boy dressed in rags and thin as a nail throws himself at her neck, clinging to her as she stands and lifts him up, laying a kiss on his temple, ruffling his hair gently and smiling for the first time since they set foot in that town.

"I knew it's you at the market!"

"Hello, Hansel! How are you today?"

The child's frightened eyes land on Robin, his face, stained by dirt and misery, turning into a frown that Regina calms with a caress on his forehead. And although he doesn't know this kid, the crack in his gaze strikes Robin deep in his core.

"Everything is alright. You're safe," Regina assures, reclaiming the boy's attention. "Where is your sister?"

The child shrugs his shoulders sadly. "It's her turn in the basement."

These words, yet so simple, punch Robin in the chest. The boy has just confirmed the absurd story Regina told him. His first reflex is to convince himself that all this is just an act, that little Hansel is nothing more than a child that Regina has shaped to lie to him. He saw the life of the people at the market, they weren't in agony. As for this heap of garbage that she claims is a place to live, she must have set about preparing it in secret to deceive him, but he knows better. He sees her deceptive game, her attempt to shake the faith and love he has for his family, clearly. And it doesn't work.

" _Gina!_ "

Robin jumps at the word spoken so loudly, swirls on his feet to find a bunch of kids looking like the ones that almost crashed into him earlier, all running to Regina and requiring a hug from her. She crouches down, releasing Hansel, and Robin watches as she gives a kind gesture to all of them, a hug, a hand ruffling disheveled hair, but mostly, a smile so wide it warms even his heart, even if it's not meant for him, as she doesn't even pay attention to him.

"I miss you!" a little curly brown-haired girl whose face is covered with dirt says, clutching Regina's neck as the woman brushes her head tenderly.

"I missed you too, sweetheart. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come last time."

"You have sumthing for us?"

"Yes, Tommy." She points at the area where she hid the food. "In the usual hiding spot. I added some raspberries. I know how much you like them."

The boy jumps up and down with excitement, smiling widely. It only confirms Robin's certainty that this is only a set up and nothing wrong is going on here.

"Oliver?"

Robin catches the concern in Regina's voice immediately, and as he follows her gaze, he understands the problem and feels his heart sink.

"What happened?"

Regina walks to the older child, perhaps ten years old, whose face is bruised, his lower lip swollen and bleeding.

Looking down sheepishly, he shrugs his shoulders, but Regina tilts his chin up and examines his face gently. "I asked to keep some of the money we steal to buy food for us. They didn't like it."

From where he is, Robin notices a huge cockroach around his right eye, has the impression that his right cheekbone is broken, his lower lip cracked. Oliver is even leaning forward slightly, one arm holding his stomach, and Robin suspects that the blows did not stop at his face. The boy has been beaten up, and violently.

The rest of the exchange between Oliver and Regina does not reach him, because his mind is clouded by the scene he just witnessed, by the swollen face of a child barely ten years old, and the possibility, however slight and improbable, that it was not staged.

Yet, this does not call his father into question. A group of dissident soldiers could simply be responsible for what Regina told him, without the King knowing about it. That, or nobles, someone from the council, who orchestrated operations like these in order to steal money from his father's pocket.

He clings to these possibilities with all his strength, still in shock though, barely realizing that he has crossed the village again, that Regina has even taken the time to buy some supplies, and that he is standing in front of Lacey, the mare staring at him, waiting for him to react.

It is Regina's hand on his shoulder that shakes him out of his torpor, and his doubtful gaze falls on her.

"Come on, let's go! A good gallop will do you good to digest all this."

That night, he did not sleep. Haunted by the smell, by the sight of that alley and those young children, by the misery that flowed from Regina's mouth, Robin couldn't find sleep. He did his best to impose on his mind that his father must not know about this, that a King cannot be aware of everything, that someone else was responsible for this, someone that he'd have to find and stop once he goes back to the castle. Yet, despite the new resolution to help his father deal with this in time, sleep eludes him.

Regina leaves him alone the next day, and even Little John, usually so chatty, must understand the musings of his brain, because he works with him in relative silence. It's only at the end of the day, after his sore body relaxes in the freshwater of the river before dinner, that Robin emerges from his dazed state, ashamed of himself for having doubted his father for even one second. After everything his father has done for him, he should've never even listened to Regina's lies and doubted him.

"Henry, come here!"

The call of the familiar name catches Robin's attention, and he searches among the large tables, noticing the dark hair of a child running around a table and joining Regina, the woman hoisting him on the bench and placing his food in front of him. His eyes are mesmerized by the sight of her with her son, of the tenderness she shows towards him that reminds him of the kindness she showed to the street children, and something strikes him then.

All his suppressed anger, all his doubts, this uncomfortable insecurity that's plagued him since he first faced the stone wall and that was increased by yesterday's revelations, they all rise in him, and it's with a bitterness and a bit too much alcohol in his blood that he spits, tilting his head in the direction of Regina and her son. "So, where's the child's father?"

The entire table falls silent then, Archie looking at him with wide eyes. Stopping his hand from bringing a piece of bread to his mouth, Robin glances around him, facing nothing but embarrassment as most of them suddenly find their bowl of food very interesting.

"How's the bridge repair going, John?" Geppetto asks.

Robin frowns at the sudden change of subject. Putting two and two together, he understands quickly why they eluded the question, all the while looking as if they were ashamed of the answer.

"That's what I thought," he scoffs, cutting off Little John's answer to Geppetto, but it's not like his question was ignored. "A child out of wedlock."

Little John nudges him in the ribs, whispering. "I suggest you shut up immediately and blame the ale for what you just said."

Robin brings his glass to his lips, finishing his ale bottoms up and adding with confidence and a touch of mockery. "Why? Is it a secret? Does she even know who the father is? Or did he just bail out when he found out he got the wench pregnant? I mean, I've been here for almost a week, and she clearly doesn't have a husband, so I must be right. At the same time, I don't see how a man could want someone like her. I mean yes, she's pretty, but come on! No sane man would accept having a wench for a wife, or a bastard for a child."

This time, Little John swats at his shoulder, and Robin startles, glares at the man. "How dare you touch me?" he thunders.

Little John's usually kindness and natural good mood is gone, as the man grabs him by the shoulder, squeezing tight, displaying much more strength than Robin anticipated. "I dare because you're so full of shit you have no idea what you're talking about! Now shut up!"

Robin sees red then. No one speaks to him like that.

 _No. One_.

His fist collides with Little John's cheek before he realizes what he's done, and then all goes to hell. Everyone gets up, men readying their fists, women screaming at them to stop, and Robin couldn't be happier. That's what he was waiting for, to deal with these bunch of savages, to end them once and for all, to stop the lies they keep spreading about his father.

He's on his feet before the crowd gets to him, ready to fight, feeling the rush of adrenaline and the bottled-up anger and frustration he's been holding back potentiate the effects of alcohol, fueling his resolve to break his promise and kick their butts. He stares at the person in front of him, whoever that might be, waiting for nothing more than to treat that vermin like he so badly wants to, but a voice rises, louder than the crowd, putting an end to the scene immediately.

" _Enough!"_

He stands his ground, feet planted on the floor to counterbalance the alcohol blurring his vision and shaking his balance, watching everyone look between him and the person who just interrupted the fight.

"Let me through." the same voice orders, the person making their way through the angry mob.

Regina...

She's livid, eyes fixed upon him and then looking at Little John, the man walking to her, speaking words Robin cannot hear, but he figures he must be giving his version of what happened because Regina's eyes widen.

"Everyone go back to minding your own business!" Regina calls in a voice that doesn't leave room for discussion. Then she plants herself right in front of him. " _You_ , follow me."

Sending a last glare in everyone's direction, Robin walks in her steps and away from the group, swaying a little.

She stops once they're out of earshot and swirls on her feet to face him.

"I know what he must have told you, but he started-"

"I get it." she cuts him off. "You're in shock, in denial, trying to process what I showed you yesterday, and you've focused all of your anger on me. That's fine, I can take it. Call me anything you want, I don't give a damn about what you think about me. But keep my son and my husband out of it."

Robin takes a step back.

"Your husband?" Taken aback by the revelation and oddly, shivering at the sound of her voice and in front of her hard eyes, Robin's determination to make her pay for his own suffering begins to falter. "I thought-"

"That I was a whore who got herself pregnant from someone who didn't want me? That my son was just a bastard everyone was ashamed of? Yeah, I know what you thought. You're so self-centered and egocentric that you couldn't even fathom the more obvious and logical possibility, that you couldn't even see what was right in front of your eyes," she says pointedly, lifting her hand and giving him a clear view of the ring around her finger that he's never noticed until now. Well… _that_ isn't a wedding ring by his standards, he'd die of shame if he ever offered something like that to a woman.

Standing straight and lifting his chin to give himself confidence, Robin sneers, but his voice has lost some of its sharpness.

"Where is he, then?"

Regina's eyes shine with something different then, a dullness he has only seen twice: In front of the stone wall, and yesterday in that alley. But her voice… her voice is different. It's broken in its depth, sounding like the agonizing wail of a wounded animal. As if suddenly, speaking had become a struggle. As if it was impossible for her to say the words.

As if…

As if she was in pain.

"Use your brain for a change. Despite your obvious lack of manners and bad faith, I'm sure you can figure it out by yourself."

She takes a step back, about to leave him by himself like she usually does, but she stops at the last second, frowning at him. "He wasn't a _Prince_ , but he was far more of a man than you might ever be. Now, I'm going to ask you to spend the rest of the evening in your room, as you've offended everyone tonight. I'll also organize my day so you and I will be out of here tomorrow. I'm not sure Little John, despite his kindness, is ready to deal with you for a while after your little scene."

She begins to walk away, but then she turns to face him again. "And Robin: I let this time go because you are in shock after what I showed you yesterday. But if this ever were to happen again, I'd consider that you broke your word to me. So I suggest that you start getting your temper under control."

xxx

Robin is woken by light coming through the open door of his cabin, and he blinks repeatedly, groans in annoyance, then startles when he realizes that someone is inside. Sitting up all of a sudden, a shiver finishes to wake him up, and he faces the coldness of Regina's eyes as she puts a gourd, a bowl of soup and bread on the table next to his bed.

"We're back to this, huh?" he snorts, scratching the back of his head. "I'm not welcome at your table anymore?"

Straightening and looking him down, Regina's voice is firm, strong, but mostly cold as she walks out.

"For your sake, not today, no. Eat quickly. We'll leave in fifteen minutes."

Yawning widely and stretching, Robin rolls his eyes and sits on the edge of the bed. By the time he finishes his meal and gets dressed, Regina is waiting for him at the edge of the village, already sitting on Rocinante, Lacey's reins in her hand. This time, the gallop through the forest has no savor. It has no smile, no warmth, no race or attempt to playfully annoy each other. For some mysterious reason, Robin misses it, but he almost dismisses that feeling that shouldn't even exist in the first place.

He walks with her into another town, and this time he can't ignore the misery that surrounds them as he watches Regina bring some food and money to villagers and orphans almost without sparing him a glance. Her explanations are dry, distant, and she doesn't warm up to him today.

Almost left to himself somehow, he gets to really witness the poverty of the population, as they don't have enough money to buy even a piece of bread. He reads the famine in the hollowed-out faces and the gauntness of the families and children they visit. He cannot ignore poor quality clothing, sometimes patched up, but often left as is, with multiple holes showing bodies so thin that the bones are protruding under the skin. Not to mention those who are ill, coughing, covered with pustules, or feverish. He stayed away from them, instead observing Regina, who brought them vials of medicine, some moral support, a bit of food, money to pay the town's doctor.

He faces what he believed didn't exist, what his parents had told him was nonexistent in their realm, and doubt grows in his mind, because Regina might be exaggerating things, but there's no way she could've made up all of this.

With her giving him the cold shoulder, he doesn't dare ask questions this time, but what he sees is enough of an answer. And as they gallop back towards the camp, Robin's heart is heavy and his mind full of the scenes he witnessed, the faces of the people he's met. He follows Regina blindly, sends Lacey on the path of Rocinante, and they ride in silence until a sudden scream pierces the relative quietness of the forest and makes him stiffen and straighten on his horse. Regina pulls on Rocinante's reins, slowing down and stopping quickly, Robin managing to stop his mare before she collides with the stallion.

"What was that?"

She shushes him by raising a firm hand, her eyes fixed somewhere in the forest.

Robin observes her, tense, alert, trying to decipher what has caught her attention, senses acute as he listens attentively.

He startles when more screams resonate around them, and he knows Regina heard them too, because she sharply looks at him, her face torn in what he senses is a dilemma.

"I have to deal with that. Either you're ready to learn more and you come with me, or you wait here. But if this is really what I think it is, you might not like what you'll see."

Not giving him a moment to answer, or even think, she changes direction and rides her horse rapidly toward the origin of the screams. Robin's instinct guides him without truly giving him a chance to think the situation through. He finds himself chasing her, and stops before they exit the cover of the forest, in front of a house and… what he clearly identifies as a group of his father's men.

Freezing on the spot behind Regina, eyes set upon the family that is failing to protect themselves from the soldiers. Soldiers whom he doesn't know personally, but recognizes nonetheless.

And what hits him immediately, is the way most of them are clearly tucking themselves back into their pants, while another one is bent over a woman, spread on her stomach on the outside table, crying. He doesn't need a drawing to understand what's going on, and both confusion and anger invade him at the sight. This isn't what those men are paid for. This, is forbidden.

But his thoughts are interrupted by something else, by another group of soldiers who are dragging a man on the ground and beating him mercilessly -probably the husband, laughing as he vainly attempts to protect himself from the blows falling on him.

And what shocks him the most, are the children. Held back by guards, crying and screaming, trying to escape, they have no choice but to watch their mother being raped and their father being beaten in front of their very eyes.

"There must be a reason for them to do that." He argues in a whisper that fails to hide how shocked he is by this.

Regina points to her ears, her eyes, and then the scene unfolding in front of him, in a silent motion for him to watch and listen. And he does.

"Please, stop! Leave him alone!" the woman screams when she's finally free of the men. She wants to run to her husband, but is held back by one of the soldiers.

The one who just kicked her husband in the stomach steps back, grinning wickedly. "You should've known better than to turn me down. All I wanted was to spend a nice moment with you, and I was polite enough to ask."

"The King's rule is clear." The third soldier adds, unrolling a parchment in front of her. "The sentence for outraging a soldier of His Majesty the King Leopold, is death."

Robin almost chokes at the man's words. He certainly never heard of that rule. He does enjoy a good fuck, _a_ _lot_ , that much is clear. But although he's learned to use the right argument to put a woman in his bed, he's never forced himself upon them.

Surely, this man is lying to justify his actions. This must be one of the dissident soldiers that stain his father's name and are the reason why Regina thinks the King is responsible for the people's misery. But she's wrong, his father doesn't know about any of this.

"I beg you, spare them!" The woman screams as they push her inside her small house. "My husband and children didn't do anything wrong!"

Using his foot to make her release her three children who are fearfully clinging to her and kicking her inside the house for good, and then throwing the father inside like garbage, the soldier that was denied his wish argues, "Your husband took your side, so he's as guilty as you are. As for the kids… rest assured, they'll be of some use to the King." His eyes land on a little girl who can't be older than seven, his devilish grin set on her as he caresses her face in a way that Robin certainly doesn't like. "I'll personally take good care of this one."

" _Everywhere, throughout the Kingdom, he has children taken from their families, sometimes even had their parents murdered before their very eyes, so that the children know what he is capable of."_

" _A child, usually a girl, alone with a group of soldiers whose only goal is to have fun. What do you think could happen then?"_

Robin shivers at the man's words, and is immediately struck by Regina's revelations from the previous days. In this instant, it takes all of his willpower not to go there and break the man's neck with his bare hands.

The piercing and desperate wailing of the woman hits Robin at his core, touching him deep inside, opening his eyes to a reality he had no idea existed. Or more accurately, one he thought the rebels were responsible for. He remembers scenes like this being described by soldiers as the rebels' doing. He knows now that it wasn't. This isn't the kingdom his father told him about. This… this is pure meanness. This is cruelty. This is not what he signed up for.

He watches in horror as the soldiers block the door, before setting the house on fire. His mind is full of the screams, the woman's, her husband's the children's, and the crackle of the quickly growing fire as the entire house becomes a giant torch. A movement to his right catches his attention, and he notices that Regina's hand is at her belt, closed over the hilt of her sword, her eyes determined, and he knows that she's about to step in. Glancing between her and the crying children, between the sword and the house on fire, Robin doesn't think twice. He rips the sword from her hand, startling her, her eyes widening in shock, but he doesn't dwell on it as he jumps over the rock hiding them.

"Robin, wait!"

Ignoring her call, he rushes towards the soldiers trying to put the kids on their horses, bumping into one man violently enough to make him release the child he's holding and send him rolling on the ground. He steps between him and the terrorized boy, and firmly holds the sword, ready for a fight.

The men's surprise is obvious, because they've recognized him, must be wondering what the hell he is doing here, why he's stepped into a situation that shouldn't be his concern.

That's the thing: It _is_ his concern.

"Your… Your Royal Highness?" One of the soldiers stutters. "What-"

But Robin has heard and seen enough, and he slices the man's throat immediately, which has the other soldiers fearfully taking a step back.

"Release the children!" he thunders.

"Your Royal Highness, we're acting under your father's orders." One of them holds out the parchment, and Robin snatches it from his hand, his blood turning cold when he recognizes one of the King's execution orders, filled with his secretary's handwriting, his father's signature and… his seal. The one no one has access to but the King. The one no one can copy. The one that proves that Regina was right.

The one that crushes his entire world and all of his beliefs.

It rises in him as a hot flush, the rage he used to direct against the rebels. Led by a feeling of anger and betrayal so strong it blurs his vision, Robin looks up from the parchment, closing the distance between him and the soldier, his sword piercing him through, the man's face contorted in pain and agony as he pushes at his body and throws it on the ground. Turning towards a soldier who attempts to escape, Robin chases him, grabs his shoulder from behind and kicks him in the back of the knee, forcing him down before cutting off his head. He stares at the lifeless body then, breathing heavily, boiling with a rage so intense his chest physically hurts.

"Robin!"

He doesn't realize immediately that Regina is calling him. When he spins around, he finds her desperately trying to remove the plank of wood nailed across the door and forbidding her or the two adults inside from opening it. The rest of the soldiers, dead on the ground, probably her doing, is the least of his problems. Robin runs to Regina, assessing the situation, the fire that is licking the wood and only a few inches from her cloak.

Before he has a chance to react, she grabs her sword, inserts its tip between the door and the wooden plank, using it as a lever to blow out the nails with a disconcerting ease that makes it clear that it's not the first time that she finds herself in this situation.

"Take the kids away from here!" she orders as she pushes the door in with her shoulder.

He hesitates, because she's about to jump headfirst into a giant inferno, but the cries of the toddlers behind him make him realize that the children are barely a few feet away from the fire. The fear in their eyes is obvious when he approaches them, and he understands why when he realizes that he's half covered with blood. He kneels the way he's seen Regina do with kids they'd visited in town earlier, opening his hands, palms up, forcing himself to smile despite the situation.

"She's going to save your parents. But you need to come with me, I'll bring you to safety."

The older one, a girl with eyes as green as his sister, the one the soldier looked at like a piece of meat, stares deep into his eyes, stepping forward and bringing a hand to his face, wiping away the blood, before placing her hand in his. Robin doesn't know what it is that she saw in him, but he doesn't dwell on the question. He closes his fingers over her hand, hoists her little brother on his hip, lets her grab her other brother's hand, and leads them to the well a good hundred feet away. Once safe, he glances towards the house on fire to see Regina exiting it while supporting the unconscious woman.

"Stay here, alright? I'm going to help her." Getting up, Robin steps backward, warning the children another time with a finger pointed at them. "Don't move from that spot."

He catches the woman before Regina falls under her weight. His first reflex is to cup the brunette's cheek when she coughs violently, but Regina shakes her head, pulling away and going back inside. He doesn't even know how she goes through the flames that are now completely consuming the small house, but she disappears in the surrounding smoke and flames long enough that he has time to bring the woman to her children and pull some water from the well to wake her up.

By the time he's done and looks up, Regina still hasn't exited the house. Getting up, he takes one step in her direction, heart hammering in his chest, muttering, "Come on, get out of there!" several times, as if she could hear him.

He jumps back when the roof begins to give way, several beams collapsing in on the house, and Robin's heartbeat quickens, dread invading him as a cold shiver runs through him.

"Regina!"

Taking a deep breath despite the surrounding smoke burning his lungs, he rushes forward, ready to go through the wall of flames. He stops just in time when her face appears in the entrance, watches her struggle, but she manages to exit the place, and then collapses the second she and the man are out.

Robin is about to help her, but she shakes her head, pushes the man towards him.

"Help…" Cough. "Help him."

Robin argues, but she insists, assuring him that she's fine when she clearly isn't. Not wanting to lose any more time, Robin transports the man, whose left leg appears to be broken, next to his wife, the woman pulling away from her children to tend to her husband. Before Robin goes back to Regina, she grabs his wrist, her exhausted, puffy eyes looking straight into his, her voice the most sincere he's ever heard when she says, "Thank you."

Too overwhelmed to answer, Robin nods simply, and leaves her there while he runs to Regina. She's struggling to get up, so he lifts her in his arms despite her protests, but she's so worn out that she leans her head against his shoulder and loses consciousness in the next seconds. He carries her to the well, and lays her on the ground next to the husband, who's now comforting his children.

Robin wipes Regina's soot-covered face with his sleeve, brushing her hair away from her forehead, using the water the woman gives him to wet her scorching skin.

"Her hand," the woman points out.

Indeed, there's a large burn on Regina's right hand, and her sleeve has been partially consumed by the fire. Robin isn't really sure what to do, but the woman must, because she grabs Regina's arm and plunges her hand directly into the bucket of water, pouring some on her forearm as well.

But the fire is progressing quickly in their direction, and if they want to go back to her camp safely, she needs to show them the direction.

"Our horses are in the grove over there." He points a finger in their direction, lets the woman get up and head there while he tries to wake Regina up. "Come on, Regina, come back to us!" he insists, gently tapping her cheek, shaking her a little, choking out a breath when she finally coughs and moves, her eyes fluttering.

"Hello there!" he greets her. He doesn't even realize that he's smiling, but what he can't ignore, is the relief washing over him at the realization that she's alive.

"Robin?" she frowns. Tiredly looking around her, eyes settling on the woman bringing Rocinante and Lacey close, she seems to remember the situation they are caught in, and tries to rise by pushing on her elbows. "We need to get out of here."

"Do you think you can show us the way to the camp?"

She nods wordlessly, glances behind her at the house on fire, and freezes when she notices the bodies spread on the floor. "We need to get rid of them."

Robin frowns in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Regina coughs once, twice, wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, brow furrowing and wincing when she notices the burn on her other hand. "If your father's men find their bodies, there will be a retaliation."

"What do you suggest?"

After a short moment, Regina coughs again, then attempts to get up as she groans. "In the house."

Robin stops her with a hand on her shoulder. "Take a minute. I'll do it."

He doesn't even hesitate when he grabs the men's bodies and heads and throws them into the burning house. Only then does he realize that the soldiers' horses are long gone, but there's nothing he can do about them so he discards the thought. Walking back to the group, Robin's eye is caught by the parchment on the ground, and he bends and takes it, gaze lingering on the familiar handwriting and seal, pushing his thoughts aside when he tucks it into his belt.

Robin helps the man onto Lacey's back, then Regina onto Rocinante. She protests, claiming that she can walk, but after almost collapsing again in his arms, she relents. Soon, without a glance back at the destroyed house, the whole group is walking away from the fire, and in the direction of the rebels' camp.

* * *

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be told from Regina's perspective, providing a glimpse into the lives of the rebels as Robin tries to deal with the aftermath of the events that have just occurred. 
> 
> Don't forget to review and tell me what you thought of this chapter though!


	6. Compassion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Enjoy one short chapter from Regina's POV, before LoveFromOQ week strikes.
> 
> Thank you Morgan for the betareading, Nani for the brainstorming/fangirling, and everyone for the reviews!
> 
> To answer a question I got, I didn't plan for Roland to be in this story initially, but perhaps he'll make an appearance at some point ;-)

* * *

There is a noise, a steady banging, that slowly pulls her out of her sleep. Too groggy to understand what it is and so tired that she wants to keep her eyes closed and get some more rest, Regina rolls on her side, wrapping herself in the blanket up to her shoulders, ready to ignore the noise and go back to sleep.

Another approaching noise, this one lighter, catches her attention, and then there's pressure on the bed, the mattress sinking. When the warmth of a small body huddles against her, Regina spontaneously lifts the blanket to let her son join her. Henry leans against her, face in her neck, grasping her nightgown, and Regina instinctively encircles him with her arms, one hand caressing his hair, the other his back as she puts a kiss on top of his skull, deeply inhaling the scent so characteristic of her son, smiling without even realizing it. Her throat is tingling with the rest of the smoke from yesterday's rescue mission, and she can't suppress a dry cough, but it subsides within less than a minute.

Wonderfully ignoring the burning skin of her injured hand, she readies herself to fall back asleep with her son in her arms. But after a few more minutes of hearing the incessant and annoying outside noise, Regina huffs in annoyance, and Henry becomes agitated, whining and snuggling even further in her arms.

"Schhht, sweetheart," she coos. "I'm here, Henry. Mommy's here." She rubs his back gently, kissing his forehead several times, keeping him glued to her when, intrigued by the cause of the noise, she ends up giving up. She sits upright, rubbing her still-sleepy eyes with her free hand. "Come here, baby. Let's check out what's going on."

Who could cause so much fuss when it's barely daylight?

She puts on her boots as best as she can with Henry clinging to her neck, tossing her cape over her shoulders and wrapping it around her son, whose head is draped against her shoulder as he slowly awakens.

When she leaves her house, she faces several members of the camp, all confused by the unidentified noise.

"You don't know what this is all about any more than we do, do you?"

"No, Rumple. It just woke me up a few minutes ago."

He places a hand on her shoulder, tilts his head in concern. "Are you alright?"

Smiling and covering his hand, she nods. "I'm fine. My hand is painful and I won't say no to some water to ease the burning in my throat, but I've known worse."

Granny points to the space to the north of the camp, near the river. "It's coming from over there."

"I don't see John starting work this early." Ruby points out.

"I confirm that" Little John answers as he closes the door of his home and joins them. "I only wake up that early when I don't have a choice, and today was not one of those days."

They silently approach the source of the commotion, Regina feeling both curious and worried, a wave of relief mixed with confusion seizing her at the sight in front of her.

She feels her heart tighten when she sees Robin, an axe in his hand, chopping wood, focusing all his energy on striking the same spot each time, drops of sweat on his forehead, his breathing heavy and jerky.

In spite of his haughty temperament, his disdain, and his responsibility for the death of many of their loved ones, she feels sorry for him. Finding out your own father has been lying to you your entire life isn't the easiest truth to accept. Especially given the situation that caused an early and violent wake-up.

"What is he up to?"

Taking a moment to answer Ruby's annoyed question, Regina sighs deeply.

"He's trying to deal with his grief."

"He could do that without waking everyone up." Granny grumbles.

Facing the group, Regina delicately transfers a still-sleepy Henry into Ruby's arms, the young woman expertly adjusting the child and wrapping him in her own cape.

"I know you don't like him very much," Regina exchanges glances with Ruby and Granny and then with Rumple and John. "But be indulgent. He has just seen his world completely turned upside down, and the father he idolized as the despicable man he truly is.. He has a right to be disturbed. And don't forget that he saved me and the family we rescued. He didn't have to."

No one dares to answer her, and Regina decides to leave them to their own thoughts, to reflect on the perspectives that will now be offered to them.

"Go and prepare breakfast. I'll join you in a few minutes." The group begins to move away, but she stops Little John with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You will help Geppetto today. Robin needs some time alone."

Her friend frowns, looking at the Prince, still immersed in his own world, unaware of their presence. "He barely knows how to chop wood properly. He'll mess it up."

"It doesn't matter. If it makes a difference and ends the war, I'm willing to sacrifice a few tree trunks."

"Alright, as you wish."

Taking a deep breath, Regina heads towards Robin, stopping once in his field of vision, waiting until he decides to look up at her.

"What? You're going to tell me more news about who my father really is?"

With a compassionate smile, Regina shakes her head. "No. You're not ready for the rest of the revelations yet. I just wanted to know how you were doing."

With an irritated grunt, Robin lowers his axe, this time successfully slicing through the tree trunk properly.

"How do you think I'm doing?"

Nodding silently at his rhetorical question, Regina tugs at the edges of her cape.

"Will you join us for breakfast?"

"I don't think so. I'm not hungry."

"I'm sorry, Robin."

"What for?"

"I didn't plan for you to learn about this so soon."

Chuckling bitterly, Robin places a new piece of wood in front of him. "Better rip the bandage off now rather than later, right?"

"Right…" Regina admits, biting her lower lip. She grabs one of her arms, bouncing from one foot to the other. "Thank you for what you did yesterday. You didn't have to."

Pausing, Robin lifts his head, meeting her eyes, and she can read in his all the distress he's full of at the moment.

"How did you keep protecting people without us knowing that you were still alive?" In front of her confusion, he adds. "The soldiers I threw in the house on fire. I don't remember many soldiers disappearing without an explanation over the last two years. But if I understand the little you told me, the scene we faced yesterday was only one of many."

"We unfortunately often arrive too late for the children. And most of the time, we avoid confrontation and therefore killing soldiers, so we wouldn't raise suspicion."

He nods, tilting his chin behind her at the camp.

"How are they?"

"They're still asleep for now, but when they went to bed yesterday, they were alright. Leon's leg will take some time to heal, and they all need to forget about… well. Despite what happened, they're grateful to be alive and together," she says honestly.

Robin nods again, waiting a heartbeat before asking, "And how are _you_?"

Taking a step forward, Regina places a hand on his forearm, not missing the way his eyes flicker to the bandage on her hand, before locking with hers again.

"I'm alright. Thanks to you."

Blinking, Robin admits, "You scared the hell out of me."

Regina can't help it, she chuckles, sheepishly placing a strand of hair back behind her ear.

"Who would've thought you would save my life, huh?"

Robin's features relax slightly, but he's still tense, still dealing with all the shit he's recently learned, and his answer to her chuckle looks more like a grimace, but his voice holds none of the bitterness he's shown towards her recently.

"Yeah… I didn't expect it either. It just… happened."

Warmly smiling at him as she takes her hand back, she nods gratefully. "Well, know that I appreciate it more than I can express." Noticing his discomfort, she walks backward, ready to leave him. "Take as much time as you need, Robin. When you're ready to ask your questions, you know where to find me."

xxx

Regina rubs Henry's back tenderly, smiling affectionately at the sleepy face of her son rubbing his eyes tiredly in front of his bowl of porridge. "Mommy has a meeting this morning, sweetheart, so you'll stay a bit with Ruby, alright? And then this afternoon, you'll come with me to see the villagers."

Her son beams at her, chewing on the bread in his mouth before swallowing. "Okay, Mommy."

Regina leans forward, kissing his forehead before looking up at Ruby and Granny in front of her. "If he's too tired or cranky, let him take a nap. Otherwise he'll be impossible for the rest of the day."

"I think that's a good idea." Ruby scrunches her nose while the corner of her lips tip up. "Looks like he didn't appreciate the early wake up call."

"He's not the only one." Granny mutters, stirring her food with her spoon.

"You won't spend time with our guest today?" Rumple questions, glancing in the direction of where Robin is.

Regina swallows her food and shakes her head. "No. He needs some time alone to process what he saw. He'll come to me when he's ready to hear more."

"Do you still believe that you can change him?"

"More than ever."

"I don't know how you can have so much faith in a man who killed so many of our loved ones."

"Need I remind you where that plan came from, Ruby?" At the woman's snort, Regina's voice rises. "Daniel wanted peace, and I want that too. Letting hate and grudges guide us will only keep fueling the war, and I'm sick of it. We've lived in that world for far too long."

"The two of you were always full of impossible dreams. That _Prince_ will betray you at the first possible opportunity."

"Ruby..." Rumple sighs. "We've had this conversation a dozen times already."

"But she's too stubborn to see the fact that she let a dangerous man into our camp!"

"I'm not the only stubborn one here," Regina reminds. "That man has been here for a week now, and no one is dead except his father's men, whom _he_ killed to save a family he didn't even know. I'd say that's already a huge step forward, if you consider the fact that his mind was filled with lies from the moment he was born."

"Who says he didn't kill those men to pretend to be on our side before stabbing us in the back?"

Regina rolls her eyes, Rumple sighs deeply, and Granny grabs the girl's wrist.

"Listen, I don't like him either and I certainly don't trust him, but Regina has a valid point. You can stay on your guard, but you don't have to question every single day a decision that's already been taken. It won't change anything about the situation except exhaust us all."

Huffing in annoyance, Ruby pushes her empty bowl away, gets up and walks away angrily. Little John approaches the group, his wide and confused eyes following Ruby until she's out of sight. "What did I miss?"

"Ruby's usual bad mood."

"Oh! Nothing new."

"She will have to let go of her resentment if she ever wants to move on." Rumple smiles as his eyes set on Regina, flicking to Henry, who's scooping the last drops of his porridge with his piece of bread. "I have faith in you. You have already made miracles happen with him. Don't let her words get to you."

"I won't, don't worry," she assures, placing a hand on his forearm. "Does anyone know if Sidney is up? I would like to start the budget meeting as soon as possible so I can have some time with Henry today."

Little John sputters some of the bread he is chewing before putting his hand in front of his mouth. "He's getting ready. I saw him exit his house and head for the storage room before coming here. I'm almost certain that he's already waiting for you."

"Thank you, John. Rumple, are you ready?"

The man wipes his hands and grabs his cane. "Ready when you are."

Regina turns towards Granny and John, a hand on her son's back. "Could you watch him until Ruby is in the mood?" After receiving a positive answer, she leans towards Henry, the little boy looking at her with wide brown eyes and a large smile that makes Regina melt, her love for her son bringing the broadest smile to her lips. "You be a good boy, sweetheart. I'll join you in a moment."

"Mommy, a hug!"

Regina gives in easily, wrapping her arms around her son's frame and lifting him to sit him on her lap, planting several kisses on his cheek. "My baby boy... I love you so much, Henry."

"I love you _more_!"

Eyes brimming with the infinite love she feels for her wonderful son, Regina digs a tooth deep into her lower lip, grinning like an idiot at his declaration, no matter how simple it is. Henry is the most important person in her life. The people from the camp are her family, they all have a special place in her heart, but Henry is above them all. He will always come first. He's her flesh and blood, a part of her, a part of Daniel, the most vivid memory she has of her husband, and her main motivation to go through with her plan.

In reality, it was Daniel's plan initially, one that he envisioned after he set his eyes on their baby boy, when he realized that this life made of war, fighting and death wasn't an environment they wanted Henry to grow up in. After Daniel was killed, it took her a year to recover from her trauma and find the strength to implement her husband's plan, to face the man she hated for so many years. That's when she realized that the Dark Prince was acting blindly at the behest of his father, who had kept the truth about his identity from him all his life.

This morning, as she came face to face with a Robin who was clearly devastated by the discovery of a small part of the fraud that is his father, her heart was filled with empathy, and she understood the full significance of Daniel's plan.

Her husband's faith in humanity was beyond limits. In spite of the atmosphere of death in which they grew up, Daniel never gave up on the hope that one day the world would once again become a serene kingdom that was good to live in. He never got to see it with his own eyes, but Regina made it her mission to allow their son to grow up in this world Daniel wanted for him.

That's why she gives Robin time. For 3 whole days, she lets him pour his rage into manual labor, from dawn to dusk, bringing him meals that he gobbles up in a few minutes, leaving a change of clothes in his little hut and something to heal his hands, which are bloody from the hard work to which he is not accustomed.

His grief radiates from him so much that a few of the camp residents suggest helping him, but Regina prevents them from doing so. Robin must overcome the situation, and to do so, he must do it alone. When he needs them, he will let them know.

Today, the axe and hammer's blows still ring out despite the thunderstorm rumbling over their heads, despite the lack of light caused by a thick curtain of rain and fog. Dinner is served inside each house tonight, and Regina's family is laughing out loud at Henry's antics, when a sound clearly reminiscent of knocking at the door interrupts the cheerful mood.

The laughs die down, the silence disturbed only by the rain drumming on the roof.

Three knocks again.

Regina stands up with her son in her arms, places Henry on the bench where she was sitting, and opens the door. She faces Robin, drenched to the bone, his face ravaged by pain and exhaustion.

"Tell me the truth."

She simply nods, pushes the door wide open and invites him in. But no sooner does he take a step forward than he collapses before her. She immediately kneels down, Granny and Rumple joining her, while Ruby takes care of Henry at the table.

"Help me set him up in front of the fireplace. He's freezing."

Robin is stripped of his cape and laid out on the wide animal skin rug in front of the crackling fire. Regina settles beside him, grabs the towel that Rumple holds out to her and rubs Robin with it, sighing with relief when his cheeks regain color and he shows signs of waking.

"Ruby, take Henry to his room. Granny, can you heat up some stew for me, please?"

Rumple crouches down in front of her, leaning on his cane to avoid putting too much weight on his lame leg. She is not unaware of her uncle's aversion to the royal family and will never forget all that he lost because of Robin's father's lust for power. They are the last living members of their family, the only ones who survived the massacres that swept through the kingdom years ago on the orders of the present King. However, since her decision to implement Daniel's plan, he has been an unwavering supporter of her plan, despite his fears and those of the other members of the camp.

"Are you ready?"

"I've been waiting for this moment for years."

"Are you going to hang in there?"

She smiles gently at Robin when he wakes up and frowns and blinks several times, not yet aware of the discussion taking place in front of him.

"I've lived my whole life with the truth. I have not been lied to about my own existence. I am not the one who is going to find out who I really am. The real question you should ask is: Is Robin really ready for this?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter sees Robin facing the truth about his origins and trying to accept them, while Regina's initial defiance towards him lets place to a more open and compassionnate side of her.
> 
> The next update will come after LoveFromOQ week :-)


	7. Learning to live with the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Enjoy a new update full of revelations. This chapter will be told from both Regina and Robin's POV, as I think it'd have been missing not to know what they both have in mind. 
> 
> Thank you for your support and reviews!
> 
> I'm currently working on the epilogue of this fic, so I'll update at least twice, if possible three times a month if work and betareading allows me to. So don't worry about the updates coming, they will be there. 
> 
> Thank you Nani for the brainstorming and Morgan for the beta work!
> 
> With that said, have a nice reading :-D

* * *

"Thank you, Belle."

The brunette places an old book on the table, glancing hesitantly between Regina, Robin, Granny and Rumple. "Do you need me to stay?"

Regina gently cups her elbow. "I don't, but you're welcome to if you want to."

After a short hesitation, Belle slides onto the bench next to Granny, the old woman instinctively rubbing her back in a way that is both affective and comforting. To go through the memories of so many years of suffering, through the loss of so many of the ones they loved is going to be tough for Robin, but for them as well. But it is a necessary process, so when Regina grabs the book, her hands are determined.

Robin watches her in silence, tugging on the blanket covering him with one hand, stirring and eating a warm stew with the other, both anxious and impatient, but mostly scared. Regina has mentioned how his father was a fraud several times already, and after days thinking of nothing but that execution order that he stared at every time he was in his room, he wondered how much exactly his father has hidden from him.

When they came back three days ago with the family they saved, as people tended to them and approached him to check him for injuries, his first reflex was to push them away. He couldn't deal with them. In this very instant, and for the following days until now, all he could bear was loneliness, and his tumultuous thoughts. Reflecting on recent events and revelations kept him from sleeping that evening, and that's when he made the decision to work on the bridge. Surely, exhausting himself would do him a lot of good, and in a way, it did. It allowed his mind to process all that he had seen and learned in the wake of the past week, and although he's so drained that he will probably sleep like a brick tonight no matter what he's about to learn, his vision of the rebels has changed, fresh eyes full of realization settling on them now. He can see more clearly the pain that he had guessed existed but ignored until now reflected in not only their eyes, but also their entire being. It's written in the way they move, in the way they act: the suffering, the grief. His father has tried to destroy them and their world, of that he's sure now. What he still doesn't know,ignores though, is why.

Regina blows the dust off of the cover before placing it in front of him. Robin can read its title clearly, and shivers at the words and the implication behind them: _Memories of the Beginning of the War: What the Usurper Tried to Hide_.

"This book was written by someone who was close to your father, until he realized what his real plan was."

Robin freezes as he recognizes the name on the cover.

"I know this name." He simply says, drawing the confused looks of everyone around him. "My father told me he was a servant he took under his wing who tried to overthrow him."

A silence settles before him, the four rebels glancing at each other in surprise.

"His version is slightly different than the one you were told," Granny replies.

In any other circumstances, Robin wouldn't have cared about this other version. He'd have never questioned his father's word. But not today. Not after everything he's seen.

"How have I never seen this book before?"

"Because the author was killed by your father's men, and his work destroyed. This copy is the only one we managed to save from destruction." She pushes the volume towards him. "This holds all the answers you are looking for."

Robin sends a hand forward, the tip of his fingers brushing the edge of the book, the thick cover, the artwork, the intertwined letters, a word imprinted in his mind: _usurper_. He looks up, meeting Regina's eyes before she nods at him firmly, thus indicating that he can read it whenever he's ready.

He opens the book and from there, the story of the kingdom unfolds in front of him.

He discovers that the Enchanted Forest was a prosperous kingdom that lived in peace. Without being perfect, the kings who succeeded one another on the throne generally did their best to limit misery and apply equitable justice with the help of advisers who each administered a part of the kingdom. However, several decades ago, a man who was among the King's servants got carried away by his ambition: to become the next sovereign.

Robin stills at the name written before his eyes, the name he knows so well, that makes the reality he's starting to foresee even more concrete: Leopold. The man who betrayed his king, was his father.

He was expecting this, yet, he couldn't avoid the clench of his heart that felt more like a stab, this sense of betrayal that's been following him over the last days hitting him in his chest as strongly as a hammer driving nails into wood.

But another name catches his eye, and Robin looks up, frowning at Regina. "You named your son after the King my father betrayed?"

She nods reverently. "I did."

Robin looks back at the book then. She is so faithful, so devoted to the cause, that he isn't even surprised by her confirmation of his suspicion. When he thinks about it, he remembers hearing about children that were named after his father. Or was that another of his parents' lies?

He shakes his head, turning a page of the book to discover more of the story. He learns that little by little, his father managed to get into the King's good graces, pledged his allegiance to him and made the solemn vow to support him all his life. But while King Henry gave him his trust and friendship, his father slowly set about turning his advisers against him with a series of lies and false promises. The Queen's pregnancy, and then the birth of an heir to the throne, hastened plans to overthrow them.

He absentmindedly grabs the glass of ale that is deposited in front of him, drinks from it as he learns that after years spent in the castle, his father had managed to steal enough gold to handsomely pay mercenaries and corrupt nobles and soldiers, even sovereigns from the neighboring kingdoms. One fateful night, he paid the soldiers so they would open the doors, and the mercenaries stormed the castle, allowing him to seize the throne.

He blows out a shaky breath, takes his head between his hands and then wipes his face. "So, I'm not even who I thought I was."

Regina places a hand on his back, and tilts her head to the side sympathetically. "No. You weren't born in a castle, Robin. You were born in a small house the size of this one," she waves her hand towards the place they are in. "as the son of commoners. Not as a Prince. You were barely more than one year old when your father took the throne."

Robin takes the blow without flinching, although it comes as a shock to him. He didn't think his parents' lies went that far. He had imagined everything. Not being their son was the one that seemed most likely and that he had managed to convince himself of. But that his father had been a simple servant who succeeded in bringing down a King, that one he had not seen coming.

And while some might be proud, he is not. For he suspects that the story does not end there.

"What happened to the King and Queen?" He asks, his mouth dry.

"Helped by servants who were more devoted to them than their own soldiers, they managed to escape."

"Where are they today?"

"The usurper never ceased to hunt them down. His men combed the entire kingdom, and finally, about a year later they found them, and..."

Regina takes a deep breath, turns another page of the book, and it reveals a drawing that expresses more than words what happened that day. Her throat tightens, forbidding air to enter her lungs, her hand trembling as she finds herself unable to speak the words. She notices Robin's confused gaze, reads in it that he's beginning to foresee her answer, but as she seems to struggle to keep her face neutral and speak at the same time, she looks up at Granny for help. The woman places a hand on her shoulder and resumes, in a voice still tainted by the anger that has never completely left her since _that_ day.

"They slaughtered them. They even murdered their two years-old daughter."

The silence following these words is more eloquent than a long speech, and Robin understands from the veiled painful gazes of those around him that they were closely affected in some way by the situation. How closely, though, he doesn't know.

Robin forces himself to keep his face neutral. The brutality of the events that he just learned, the unfairness of the murder of a child, it all makes him sick. And reminds him too much of the horror he's witnessed in the streets of the kingdom over the last days. What happened then never stopped, even decades later.

Regina struggles to catch her breath, to clear her mind of the memory of the death of her parents and sister, even though she was only an infant whose very existence was both a miracle and the most fiercely protected secret at the time. But the loss, the life in fear, the surrounding war and violence, and the more than detailed narrative of their fate are more than enough to keep this memory alive in her mind.

Granny grabs her hand delicately, squeezing gently in a gesture of comfort, her eyes reflecting the same sorrow, but also the necessary strength that Regina has always been able to draw upon since that fateful day. The day when her mother entrusted a servant with the life of her child, knowing very well that she'd be the only one allowed to survive the bloodshed coursing through the kingdom, as long as her identity would remain a secret from the rest of the world.

A mixture of love, tenderness, the will to get out of this situation, to survive, to reclaim her legacy, overwhelms her. Those are the things that have guided her all her life, and have brought her here, today, surrounded by the woman who raised her, her uncle, and a friend, to teach the son of a traitor that his entire life is a lie based on a broken vow, and on the massacre of innocents that continues even today, twenty-five years later.

Against all odds, when Robin doesn't resume his reading, it's Belle who turns another page, taking upon herself the remaining explanation, giving everyone time to collect their emotions.

"Exhilarated by power and victory, the new King, your father, out of fear of rebellions after hearing some nobles and councilors criticize the fate of the royal family, then turned against all powerful families who risked betraying him, or whom he considered too dangerous and put his reign in jeopardy. This was followed by a series of massacres throughout the kingdom, and in the span of a few months he had decimated almost all those who could put him in danger, including the families of the late King and Queen up to the most distant relatives they had. The only people left were either following him out of fear or generously paid. Then began a reign based on terror and violence, where mercenaries and criminals became soldiers of the King, authorized to use violence and all possible means as long as they kept the people under control, sending many of them to a prison he created at the north of the kingdom that to this day is said to be worse than death."

Rumple closes the book in one fell swoop, drawing Robin's gaze to him, dark, pain-filled eyes pouring into his overwhelmed blue ones.

"Everyone who tried to rebel or form a coalition to remove your father from office was murdered. You are his son, his flesh and blood. You are our only hope of stopping him."

Swamped by a nauseating sense of betrayal and horror, Robin looks the man straight in the eye, perceiving his desire for revenge and justice, which strangely echoes within him.

This story could be made up. It could be the biggest invented lie. Or the least funny prank.

But in his heart, in his mind, Robin knows that it isn't. The truth, the real truth, lies before him. He could fight it, _should_ fight harder for his family, for the people he loves. He shouldn't turn his back on them so easily and trust the very people he has been trained and educated to hate and destroy.

That's the thing.

He knows the story that was just told to him, for that's what his mind was filled with as he grew up. His parents taught him how their family came from a long and powerful lineage of respected Kings, they told him about the man who tried to betray them and became the essence of the rebellion before he killed him in a one-on-one duel.

And while his father was never able to explain how and why the rebellion extended beyond the castle walls, this book provides the information that has been missing from the story he was told.

And he must admit that with the little he's seen of the reality of his father's reign, he's not certain any word his father ever spoke to him was ever true.

This story though, the one he just learned, he knows to be the truth. He can feel it in himself, as it fills the holes in his parents' tales, in the hesitation as they shared knowledge of their supposed ancestors. It explains their constant suspicious behavior towards servants and excessive attachment to what they pretend are their belongings. It makes so much sense that Robin isn't even thrown by these revelations. He's dealt with the grief of losing everything he ever believed in over the last days. What he needed today was answers, and Regina has more than provided them for him. And she did that without a lie.

He is before his father's adversary, his antipode, his sworn enemy. And while his father raised him in anger, superiority and vengeance, Regina offers him peace, equality and forgiveness, with full knowledge of the rebel blood on his hands. His education should prevail, his love for his family should take over. But for a reason that he cannot explain, Regina hit a part of him he didn't know existed. She's somehow found a way into his heart, and although Robin doesn't care for her, he certainly is more than intrigued, and somehow, surprisingly, he trusts her.

"Tell me: What should I do?"

xxx

He ignores how much time he spends there, sitting on a rock, gaze lost ahead, looking through the people working at the camp, his mind still trying to recover from and cope with the situation, with all the sudden and life-changing revelations and decisions that have been made over the last days.

Guilt fills him as he realizes the extent of the betrayal in which he will take part. His lack of loyalty to his family gnaws at him from within. Except that he cannot remain loyal to a person who has made him believe that he was someone he is not: A Prince. A nobleman. A legitimate heir to the throne. A person of immense wealth and power, surrounded by a crowd of servants and slaves, imposing respect and silence by his very presence. Loved by his people.

In reality, he is none of that. He is nobody. The son of a traitor, a tramp, a liar. A man who has stabbed innocent people in the back and continues to do so with impunity. A man who taught his son to kill, who blurred the lines between serving and being served, between honor and crime. Between truth and omission.

He no longer knows who he is. Without a home, dressed in patched clothes, his belly barely filled by the poor bowls of soup and stew served to him, his head full of self-loathing at the thought of all the lives he has taken for the wrong reasons. He's lost his identity. Neither Prince, nor a member of the rebels yet. Neither son, nor friend. No one. He is no one anymore.

A hand enters his vision, pulling him from his thoughts. It has him frowning and looking up to find Regina staring at him, a tentative and friendly smile on her face. Paying more attention, he realizes that she's holding out a gourd, and the sight makes him notice that he's indeed thirsty. He grabs the gourd and tilts his head as a silent thanks before drinking a few gulps.

"Come on!" she offers, glancing ahead of him. "Let's go for a walk. Taking your mind off things will do you good."

As usual, she begins walking without asking for his opinion, but Robin is used to this now, and he has to admit that he could use a distraction from the constant and exhausting rummaging of his brain. He catches up with her, ties the gourd to his belt, and for a moment they simply walk in silence, side by side. His gaze wanders to the surrounding forest, at first seeing nothing other than trees and plants. As time passes, she helps him open his mind to the life around them, slowly becoming aware of more sounds, more movements. She points at a squirrel climbing a tree, makes him listen to the chirping of the nearby birds, pay attention to thickets swaying in the passage of what she identifies to be a rodent family, the rustle of the wind in the leaves, the slight lapping of the water coming from the close spring where he washes himself in the evening.

"I can't exactly pretend to comprehend what you're going through, but if you need to talk, know that I'm here to listen."

The sentence, spoken as evidence as well as the sudden change of subject, stops Robin in his tracks, has him frowning and staring at Regina with confusion.

"Why would you do that? After everything you've told me about my family, why would you want to help someone like me?"

Regina pauses, takes a second to look him in the eye with a calmness that somehow appeases Robin's troubled spirit. She sends her hand forward, wraps her fingers around his palm, and that simple gesture that could have been considered improper had he still been the prince now soothes his bleeding heart and mind.

"Because you're not him, Robin. Everything you did was guided by lies. It wasn't your doing. It was your father's."

"I did kill all those men and women."

"You were the hand. He was the head."

"Does that make a difference?"

"It does to me."

His skeptical eyes stare into hers, and Regina can sense his confusion, how he does not believe her, doesn't accept the fact that he's not entirely to blame for the lives he took without knowing the ins and outs of the situation. She understands this feeling too well, because for every life of the rebels that was taken during a battle or a mission that she organized, for every innocent that she couldn't save, she's felt the weight of guilt forbid her from finding rest for days.

"Ready to see one of the most beautiful places in the kingdom?"

Tugging on his hand without waiting for an answer, she leads him a bit further on the road, smiling mischievously while he follows silently. Regina respects his need for more time, discreetly checks on him from time to time, hoping that the place she's leading him to will help break this spiral of self-loathing he appears to be stuck in.

The walk there is short, and soon she hears the familiar loud sound of the water. The corner of her lips tips up as she stops and lets Robin take in the sight. She peaks curiously at his face to find his eyes widen in amazement as he discovers the landscape unfolding before his eyes. She waits for him to react, to say something, lets him admire the magic of the scene, the beauty of the waterfall roaring in the middle of the thick forest. It amazes her every time she comes here, her breath taken away by the absolute beauty of the area, the combination of colors, of green, blue, brown and grey, the force of nature, the variety of sounds, from the water crashing in a deafening clatter, to the delicate songs of the surrounding birds and the rustle of the wind in the trees.

It seizes her gut every single time, and judging by the amazement written in Robin's eyes, she was right to bring him here.

She doesn't know him very well, aside from his wounded pride and strong temper, but she had a feeling, through his idea that he was doing what was good to support his people, that he carried deep down inside of him a love for this land he always thought was his to take care of. And that this love would be the key to get him on their side. For now, however, she observes him in silence, discreetly, the way his face lightens and his eyes sparkle as he takes in the scene unfolding before them.

"That's..."

"I had a feeling you'd like the view. It's my favorite around here."

Robin breathes in deeply, tearing his gaze away from the landscape to focus on Regina, who's staring ahead of her. This revelation, as simple as it may be, overwhelms him by what it implies, by what Regina has just confessed to him, which is far more intimate than anything they've shared before. That she thus confides a part of herself to him touches him profoundly, opens his eyes to all that he has lacked until now, what he has never been taught. Never truly, anyway. What was perverted by making him do exactly the opposite of what he thought he was doing and being: Altruism.

"Why are you showing this to me?"

She looks at him then, her face brightening as she kindly nods at him. "Because I believe that it was exactly what you needed today." Quickly glimpsing a small dirt road running down the hill, she invites him to follow her. "Follow me. It's even more impressive from down there."

They climb down swiftly, hopping over rocks and roots, dragged by the slope and their excitement, half chasing each other, and Robin feels invigorated, unable to hold back an impatient and amused grin, his mind empty of all the worries he knows are about to assail him when this magical moment ceases. But for now, he takes advantage of the lull that Regina offers him, his gratitude growing with each moment, each cornered look, each outline of a smile, each gesture and bit of attention she shows him despite the abyss that lies between them.

He almost collides with Regina as she abruptly comes to a stop, slowing her pace and carefully progressing through the forest. It takes him a moment to realize what it is that caught her attention, the children's screams and laughs that resonate through the forest and interrupt the sounds of nature that mesmerized him earlier. Curious, he follows Regina, and when they reach the bottom of the waterfall, they find themselves in front of a scene that immediately brings a small smile to his lips, without truly knowing why.

Regina breathes in relief when she takes in the sight in front of her, can't help chuckling as she feels warmth and love invade her. She meets Tinkerbell's eyes, stricken by the immediate confusion that emanates from her when she notices who is accompanying her, but Regina knows that the young woman won't ruin the bliss of the moment she was having with Robin. Tinkerbell might be an orphan of the war, but her natural good nature has allowed her to grow past the tragedy of what happened to her family. Unlike Ruby, who stands a bit to the side and immediately stiffens and stands up abruptly, sending Robin the evil eye. With one look, Regina makes her understand that now isn't the time for a fight, especially when the children are near, and even more given the situation Robin is going through.

The loud call of a voice she would recognize among a thousand has her smile reaching her ears, and Regina crouches down and opens her arms to welcome her four-year-old son as he runs to her.

"Mommy!"

Ignoring Henry's drenched state, she kisses his temple several times, closes her arms around his frame and lifts him up as she rises, several children rushing in her direction while excitedly calling her name. She almost forgets Robin's presence as she listens to Henry, Grace, Wendy and her brothers Michael and John, the children all speaking at the same time to tell her that in light of the hot temperatures, Tinkerbell and Ruby offered for them to bathe in the stream, and all the games they've been playing this afternoon. She ruffles the children's heads, affectionately rubs Grace's back when the little girl leans against her side, looking for a bit of a woman's affection that she's been deprived of since her mother was killed. Henry clings to her neck, his little legs wrapped around her waist, overexcited, his adorable laugh resonating in her ear and making her heart swell with love for her son and these kids that she's grown so fond of.

Ruby walks closer, hard eyes regularly glancing behind her, reminding Regina of Robin's presence, and that's when she exits the children's world, looks up at her friend, her demeanor speaking reassurance and calmness, hoping that the young woman won't break the brightness of the moment.

"We figured they would enjoy coming here. I hope you don't mind us bringing Henry without asking you."

Regina swirls her boy on her hip, the little boy laughing happily. "Of course not. He was having fun, right, Henry?"

The little boy nods his head excitedly, wriggling in her arms to be put down and grabbing her hand, intending to take her somewhere.

"We find a bird, Mommy!"

Giving in, Regina follows, guided by the cheers of the other children, carefully avoiding some slippery rocks and holding her son's hand tightly when he almost falls. The excitement is tempered by Tinkerbell reminding the children to be quiet so they don't frighten the animals. Regina kneels next to Henry carefully and in silence, pushing the leaves of a bush away to reveal a black-cape chickadee nestling on the ground, struggling to open its wings. Regina glances up, spots the nest in the branches above, and evaluates the height and the access.

Grace peaks over her shoulder. "Can you take it back to its family, Regina?"

"I was supposed to do it, but you've always been better at climbing trees than I was." Ruby admits in a low voice, nudging her shoulder.

Regina laughs, relieved to see Ruby not showing her hard feelings towards Robin in front of the children.

Evaluating the height she has to climb, she puts on her gloves and gathers the bird between her hands. She gets a good hold on the lowest branch and begins climbing the tree, making sure not to hurt the little bird in her hand. She reaches the nest in a matter of a few minutes, as climbing trees is something that she's been doing since her childhood, and soon she deposits the nestling among its brothers and sisters, and hastens down.

She's welcomed by a group of happy children congratulating her, Ruby and Tinkerbell smirking at her knowingly and playing along. But as she takes in the faces in front of her, she's hit deep down by the look on Robin's face, the utter amazement and awe staring back at her. He's impressed, looking at her in astonishment, and Regina can't hold his stare, sheepishly putting a wild strand of hair back behind her ear and switching her attention to Henry, who's trying to jump into her arms again.

"You did it, Mommy! The baby bird is with it mommy again."

Regina shuffles her son's hair tenderly, cupping his head when he leans against her side, assaulted by the children's questions and congratulations, finding an amused Ruby observing the scene in silence. Perhaps it's because of the children, but she seems more relaxed than usual in Robin's presence, although Regina is not blind, her friend isn't very comfortable with him being here.

Robin...

He's standing a bit of a distance away, eyes agape, apparently still stunned by the scene with the bird, but also standing awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say, as if he thinks he doesn't fit the scene. Regina remembers the hard words she had with him at the beginning, remembers the shock written on Robin's face when she had thrown in his face that she wanted him far from her son.

But the man she spoke those words to has changed, and in front of Robin's sheepish face, she gives in.

"Kids, I want to introduce you to someone." The group falls silent, eyes and mouth wide open, both curious and impatient. She gently nods at Robin, and he hesitates, unsure of what she means, and when she nods again, he finally takes a couple of steps forward. She feels Ruby tense next to her, Tinkerbell frown, but with one whispered reassurance and plead, her friends stay still. "This is Robin. He's new here, and he's going to stay with us for about three more weeks."

"Hi Robin!"

"Hello!"

Scratching the back of his head and grimacing in place of a smile, he waves his hand timidly. "Hello, kids."

"You already know Ruby, Tink and Henry." Regina introduces. She then waves towards the children, all of them smiling when their name is spoken. "This is Grace, Wendy, John, and Michael."

"He's a Prince!" Henry bursts out, happily bouncing up and down.

Robin's eyes cloud with a veil of sadness that Regina catches immediately, but that her son is too young and oblivious to notice.

"I… No, I'm not, Henry."

The little boy frowns, takes a hesitant step towards him. "But… you say you live in a castle. You say you gonna be King."

"I won't be King, Henry." Crouching down to be at eye-level with the child, Robin takes a deep breath in, then out.

"You lie?" In front of his hesitation and silence, which Henry must take as a yes, Henry furrows his brow deeply. "Mommy say it's not good to lie."

Robin's desperate eyes meet hers, and Regina kneels next to her son, grabs Henry's small hands in hers and with a finger, turns his chin so he looks at her, and gives Robin a break. "Robin told you what he thought was the truth, Henry."

"But-"

"Sometimes, the truth is more complicated than it seems. What he told you wasn't a lie, but things have changed since."

"Why?"

Tapping his chin gently with the tip of her finger, she scrunches her nose, leaning forward and lowering her voice as if to tell a secret. "That isn't any of your concern, sweetheart."

Tinkerbell steps forward then, clapping her hands loudly to catch the children's attention and break the heavy atmosphere. "Who wants to play wolf?"

A cheer of happy screams resonates in the valley, and the children are soon ready to run, Henry moving away from Robin and his mother. Robin stares at Regina in confusion.

"Wolf?"

"The one who plays the wolf has to catch the others. If you catch one, then he becomes the wolf." She jumps to her feet, smirking when she hears her blonde friend ask who is going to be the wolf. Her eyes plunge deep into Robin's, full of mischief and amusement, and she bites her lower lip in a way that tells him he's going to be in trouble. "Who wants Robin to be the wolf?"

The loud "Meeeeee!" screamed by the children startles Robin, and for a moment he stays still as children run everywhere, laughing and bumping into each other.

He meets Regina's amused eyes, and she nods at him, smiling the widest and most genuine smile she's ever given him. Feeling a sudden surge of energy fill him, fueled by the surrounding cheerfulness, he stands, puts on a serious mask, and roars. "Who am I going to catch first?"

xxx

Robin drags himself to his cabin that evening, drained, but with a smile tugging on his lips. He feels different, like a new man, one that isn't a prince, a royal, an heir, but a man who opened his eyes to pleasures as simple as playing wolf with children, splashing around in a river, laughing, ignoring appearances and social ranks. For the first time in years, he was able to cross all the barriers forbidden by his education and the role he thought he should play in the kingdom. For the first time, he felt free to do as he pleased, without responsibility. Of course, his month-long vacation in the summer palace was partly made for that, but never before could Robin remember laughing so much, having so much fun, as he had during that afternoon with the rebels and their children. Even Ruby, Regina's recalcitrant friend, relaxed in his presence, and while her reserve didn't waver and she didn't participate in the games with him, he noticed a change and flexibility in her attitude towards him.

Just as he felt a change in himself.

It's strange, the way the storm that took place within himself over the last days has completely broken all the attachments he had, and turned his life, his beliefs, upside down. He doesn't know where he belongs anymore, doesn't know who he is, if any of the things he was told and taught as he grew up were true. And as a part of him suffers from the situation and the uncertainty for his future, the rest of him just enjoys the liberty he's just found.

He opens the door, smiling as he spots the large bowl of fresh water and clean towels and clothes that he's now used to find every evening after dinner. The ambiance tonight was clearly not the same, and despite the defiance that keeps surrounding him, the tension left from his outburst and altercation with John a few days ago lessened enough that he could exchange a few kind words with Tinkerbell, Belle, Maurice, Archie and Geppetto. It made these hours of peacefulness linger for a bit longer, gave him a few more moments of rest where he didn't think about all the problems he'd have to face once he'd gone through with his word and helped the rebels overthrow his father.

_Knock knock_...

Robin pauses and stares at the door with surprise, wiping his face with a cloth when a second round of knocking is heard.

"Come in."

When Regina peaks her head inside, Robin can't help it. He smirks. He ducks his head, leans back, an eyebrow raised. "You knock now?"

The brunette lets out a slight and shy chuckle when she pushes the door open and enters the room.

"Things change."

Meeting her eyes, Robin nods, and glances down. "Things change."

Regina takes a step forward, crosses her arms across her chest and leans her back against a wall. "How are you feeling?"

"It depends. What version do you want to hear?"

The pointed look he receives makes him shudder. Still, she doesn't say a word, and he doesn't either, gulps with difficulty because he truly isn't certain of what to say. In his world, the one in which he grew up, the only version acceptable was the one that wouldn't create any wave. The one that wouldn't embarrass anyone, anyone being his family and, more specifically, his father. Who cared if you were having a bad day, or were in a foul mood? Who cared if you were hurting, or bored at a council meeting? Being polite, friendly, smiling, presenting yourself well, not letting your emotions show, are the secrets of a good heir to the throne. That's what his mother kept telling him when he was a little boy. That's what he learned to do, and he was truly gifted at that.

Now... he truly doesn't know how to act any other way, yet his entire being screams at him to throw in the trash everything he's learned, but that's not as easy as one would expect.

"It could be worse," he finally lets out, admitting a truth by omission, and hating himself when he realizes that it's exactly what his father has been doing for years.

Regina must read right through this, because she sighs heavily, props herself forward and stops in front of him.

"You don't have to hide behind appearances and etiquette, Robin. Not here. Not anymore."

Shrugging, struggling to keep her intense gaze, he admits. "Letting go of the old ways isn't always easy."

"That's why I reminded you that you can open up here."

"Why would you be interested in knowing how I truly feel? No one ever did before."

"We are not anyone, Robin. We are the exact opposite of the world you grew up in. Here, feeling upset, or sad, or angry, are normal, and everyone accepts the fact that we aren't perfect. So I'll ask again: How are you feeling?"

He feels it then. This genuine desire to know. The concern hidden in the outline of her face, the slight frown creasing her forehead. She cares. And that realization alone leaves him speechless for a moment, until a ghost of a reassuring smile graces her lips, and gives him the necessary courage to open up, the way he never could before.

"Lost. Angry. Disappointed."

"By your father?"

"Yes. And myself, as well." Throwing the towel on the small table, Robin sits on his bed in a loud sigh, wiping his face with frustrated and trembling fingers. "I don't understand how I could have been so blind for so long. I'm quite a smart person. I should've seen this."

Regina walks closer and sits next to him, her brown eyes searching for his. "You mean that you should've guessed that the man who raised you, your own father, who made sure to destroy every proof of the treason he committed, was an imposter?" Robin lowers his gaze, but she brings a hand to his chin, tilts it up so he has no other choice but to look at her. "You are his son, Robin. Despite what you've learned, you love him, otherwise you wouldn't feel so torn. Explain this to me: in what world can a loving son see through his father's lies?"

Her question is met with silence, but a silence that speaks volumes. She's right, he knows she is. But it gnaws at him, it eats him inside, that guilt, the knowledge that so many people could've been spared had he opened his eyes sooner.

"When you captured me, how could you be certain that I didn't know the truth?"

"I couldn't." Regina leans back, lets out a long, heavy sigh, her eyes clouding with something that he can't quite decipher. "But I figured that if your father had put so much heart in killing or threatening most of those who remembered the truth, he must have not willingly told his children. You see, despite the conditions I grew up in, despite the fact that I never knew my parents and all the losses I've suffered, there's one thing that has always been with me, for as long as I can remember: hope. I've always hoped that there was a way for the war to end. I also believe in second chances. I believe in redemption. Just like my husband did." She avoids his eyes when she speaks the next words, and Robin frowns, wonders what she means, but the thought is pushed aside as he listens to her and loses his train of thought. "Most people here don't understand that, and when he was killed, all they wanted was revenge. Even now, despite the last days, some haven't forgotten their resentment towards you."

She looks up, her gaze so broken that Robin is stricken in his chest, his breath knocked out of his lungs, and it all becomes clear then. The heartbreak, the distance. The way she kept her son away from him until today. The anger boiling in her brown orbs when he insulted her and her family. Putting the pieces back together and unveiling the secret she's been so fiercely hiding until now, Robin's eyes widen in shock, and it takes all of his willpower to keep his composure.

"I was there that day," she continues, and Robin doesn't know if she's unaware of his struggle or purposely choosing to ignore it as she voices the truth he's just realized. Not that he deserves for his feelings to be spared. "I heard your words. I saw the blade fall. I was ready to intervene to save him, but Daniel stopped me."

Robin remembers the scene as if it happened yesterday. He remembers the man staring ahead in silence, completely ignoring him. He remembers him shaking his head ever so slightly, which he took for a negative answer to his offer. But it wasn't. He was stopping his wife from saving his life.

"Why..." Robin's voice comes out raspy and shaky, so he clears his throat and inhales deeply. "Why did he pretend to be you? Why did he stop you from saving him?"

He can feel Regina's pain. It radiates from her tense body, from her glistening eyes and fisted hands. It's taking all of her energy to get through this, and despite his own current shocked state, Robin can't help but admire her courage and strength for staying so calm in front of the man who executed her husband before her eyes.

"Because, aside from the fact that I probably would've failed and therefore exposed myself and put my life in danger, he knew that the supposed rebels' leader's death would put the war on pause. That's what you said that day." She reminds with glassy eyes. "That with his death, the rebellion would die. Consequently, you wouldn't be chasing us anymore, and it'd give us time to form a coherent plan: His plan."

Robin ducks his head, unsure if he understood her properly. "What do you mean?"

"He was the one who first brought up the idea of using one of the King's children against him by opening their eyes. He was aiming for your sister, thought that she'd be easy to convince. But after what you did to him, I figured that you'd be a better option."

Amazed by her nerve, Robin swallows, goosebumps flaring on his skin as he chokes on his saliva, his throat squeezing under the discomfort and guilt of what he's just learned. He shouldn't be touched by this specific death more than any other. He shouldn't.

But he is.

He is, because he remembers every single second of it. He remembers the man's face as if he was in front of him, remembers the fierce in his blue eyes, the way he didn't back down even once, despite the bad treatment he went through. That's the same fierce he reads in Regina's eyes right now. The intensity of her gaze shakes him, and he needs a moment to recover, to find the strength to overcome the cold sweat that is taking over, and to speak with a voice that's if not steady, at least understandable.

"I… I'm not sure what to say." He fists his hands, feeling so very little in front of this woman who is able to give a chance to someone who murdered her husband, when he knows he would be unable to do so. And then, because he isn't sure of what else to say, and because saying I'm sorry isn't something that he does, he simply adds, "I didn't know."

Regina stares deep into his blue eyes, for a moment losing herself in them, in the sadness and contrition that seems to consume Robin, and that's how she knows that he is sincere. That it is too soon for him to say more. She then asks the only question she can think of, to make sure that she's right.

"Would it have changed something?"

Robin answers, with all the honesty that he possesses. "It would have."

A ghost of a smile graces her lips, and she gets up as she nods. Robin watches her leave, his eyes following her small frame until she places a hand on the knob and turns to face him.

"That's all I need to know."

She's almost outside when he lets out, "Thank you." When she pauses and their eyes meet one last time, he adds. "For being honest with me. And for listening to me despite what I have done."

"You're not that man anymore, Robin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the next chapter, Robin opens up to the misery ravaging the kingdom.

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter takes place two years later, as Robin prepares to spend a month's vacation at his family's summer home. Little does he really know what to expect there...
> 
> TBC? Or should I leave it here? What did you think of this prologue?


End file.
